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Mini #386 · Wednesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: October 21, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #386, 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: Prisoner's roomHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about where someone is locked up.
  2. Hint 2: It's the small, barred living space in a jail.
  3. Hint 3: A word for a jail room, starts with C.
5 Across: Comparison of two numbers, like 2:1Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is a math term for relating two quantities.
  2. Hint 2: Like comparing 2 to 1, it's often written with a colon.
  3. Hint 3: A word meaning a proportional relationship, starts with R.
6 Across: Sound just before "Bless you!"Hint
  1. Hint 1: Think of the noise someone makes right before a sneeze response.
  2. Hint 2: It's the classic written-out sound of a sneeze itself.
  3. Hint 3: An onomatopoeia for sneezing, starts with A.
7 Across: Smelled really badHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a strong, unpleasant odor from the past.
  2. Hint 2: This describes something that reeked badly, like old garbage.
  3. Hint 3: Past tense for emitting a foul odor, starts with S.
8 Across: Bowling targetsHint
  1. Hint 1: Picture a bowling alley setup.
  2. Hint 2: These are the white objects you try to knock down with a ball.
  3. Hint 3: The targets in bowling, starts with P.

Down

1 Down: Prickly desert plantsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of desert plants you shouldn't touch.
  2. Hint 2: These spiky succulents store water and often have needles.
  3. Hint 3: Plural for a spiny desert plant, starts with C.
2 Down: Tom Hanks's son, an actorHint
  1. Hint 1: This is the first name of a famous actor who shares his dad's acting career.
  2. Hint 2: He's known for roles in films like 'Dunkirk' and is the son of a very famous actor.
  3. Hint 3: First name of Tom Hanks's actor son, starts with E.
3 Down: Big cats of the savannaHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of the king of the jungle, but actually found on grasslands.
  2. Hint 2: These majestic animals live in prides on the African plains.
  3. Hint 3: The big cats found on savannas, starts with L.
4 Down: Take a peekHint
  1. Hint 1: This means to glance at something quickly.
  2. Hint 2: It's what you do when you want to see something briefly.
  3. Hint 3: A quick glance or examination, starts with L.
5 Down: File with a rough edgeHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a tool used for smoothing rough surfaces.
  2. Hint 2: This metal tool has a coarse surface for filing things down.
  3. Hint 3: A coarse file or tool for scraping, starts with R.

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 #386 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 four-letter slots are 1-Across, 8-Across, 4-Down and 5-Down; the five-letter slots are 5-Across, 6-Across, 7-Across, 1-Down, 2-Down and 3-Down.

Clues to try first

  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 6-Across, “Sound just before ‘Bless you!’” and 2-Down, “Tom Hanks's son, an actor”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for October 21, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #386. 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 #385 (October 20, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Forbids”.

October 21, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 21, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 21, 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/2026-10-21 reveals one answer at a time.