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Mini #383 · Sunday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — October 18, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #383, our own daily mini crossword. Looking for the New York Times Mini? That’s a different puzzle, published on nytimes.com.

Play puzzle firstAnswer key
All hints
10 clues
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Across

1 Across: Police officers, informallyHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a casual, informal word for law enforcement workers.
  2. Hint 2: It's the slang version used in everyday conversation, not the formal title.
  3. Hint 3: Slang term for police officers, starts with C.
5 Across: Role in a playHint
  1. Hint 1: This is about theater and acting.
  2. Hint 2: It's the word for a character an actor plays.
  3. Hint 3: A character or position in a drama, starts with P.
6 Across: Typical or customaryHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what happens most of the time, nothing special.
  2. Hint 2: It describes something expected or ordinary, the norm.
  3. Hint 3: Means normal or customary, starts with U.
8 Across: Pen fillersHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what you need to write with a certain type of pen.
  2. Hint 2: It's the colored liquid that fills pens or printers.
  3. Hint 3: Plural word for the liquid used in pens, starts with I.
9 Across: Plant a flower start, or a top-ranked playerHint
  1. Hint 1: This clue has a double meaning involving gardening and sports.
  2. Hint 2: It can mean both the start of a plant and a top athlete given an advantage in a tournament.
  3. Hint 3: Means a plant's beginning or a top-ranked competitor, starts with S.

Down

1 Down: Computer's "brain," for shortHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a computer hardware term.
  2. Hint 2: It's the abbreviation for the part that processes all the computer's instructions.
  3. Hint 3: Short for 'central processing unit,' starts with C.
2 Down: Green spot in the desertHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about deserts and surprising greenery.
  2. Hint 2: It's a fertile spot with water surrounded by sand.
  3. Hint 3: A lush area in the desert often with a spring, starts with O.
3 Down: Trim a tree, or a dried plumHint
  1. Hint 1: This clue mixes gardening and fruit.
  2. Hint 2: It can mean trimming branches or the dried version of a plum.
  3. Hint 3: Means cutting back a tree or a dried plum, starts with P.
4 Down: WagerHint
  1. Hint 1: This is about betting or gambling.
  2. Hint 2: It's what you put up when you make a bet.
  3. Hint 3: Means a bet or something risked, starts with S.
7 Down: Mind-altering drug, in briefHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a well-known hallucinogenic substance.
  2. Hint 2: It's often associated with 1960s counterculture and psychedelic experiences.
  3. Hint 3: Abbreviation for a powerful hallucinogenic drug, starts with L.

Use hints slowly

Reveal the first hint, try the grid again, then come back only if the crossing letters still do not move.

See answers

Before you open a hint

Mini #383 has ten clues, so this page holds 30 hints. Hint 1 points you at the idea, hint 2 narrows it down, and hint 3 all but gives it away. On this date, all ten third hints name the answer's first letter.

Short answers have the fewest possible fills, so they make a good start. The three-letter slots are 1-Down and 7-Down; the four-letter slots are 1-Across, 5-Across, 8-Across and 9-Across; the five-letter slots are 6-Across, 2-Down, 3-Down and 4-Down.

Clues to try first

  • 1-Down, “Computer's ‘brain,’ for short”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • 7-Down, “Mind-altering drug, in brief”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.

More for October 18, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #383. When you're done, the answer key reveals one answer at a time, and the printable copy is there for paper solvers. The day before, Mini #382 (October 17, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Marshy, wet ground”.

October 18, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 18, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 18, 2026 puzzle, with three hints each, from a gentle nudge to a strong push. The answers themselves are on the answer key page.
Is this the NYT Mini hints page?
No. This is an independent daily mini crossword. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, sponsored by, or endorsed by The New York Times.
What is the difference between hints and the answer key?
Hints move you toward the answer one step at a time so you can still solve it yourself. If you want to see a solution outright, the answer key at /answers/2026-10-18 reveals one answer at a time.