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Mini #390 · Sunday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: October 25, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #390, 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: Stair unitHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about climbing a staircase and what makes up its structure.
  2. Hint 2: Each flat surface you place your foot on when going up or down is one of these.
  3. Hint 3: A single rung of a staircase; starts with S.
5 Across: Sideways-walking shellfishHint
  1. Hint 1: This sea creature is known for its unusual way of moving.
  2. Hint 2: It has pincers and scuttles sideways along the beach.
  3. Hint 3: A ten-legged shelled sea animal that walks sideways; starts with C.
6 Across: Entrances and exitsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the parts of a building you walk through to get in or out.
  2. Hint 2: These can be opened, closed, locked, or knocked on.
  3. Hint 3: Openings in a wall used for entering or leaving a room, often with hinges; starts with D.
7 Across: Press wrinkles out of clothes with thisHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a household appliance used in laundry care.
  2. Hint 2: You heat this up and glide it over fabric to smooth out creases.
  3. Hint 3: A hot metal appliance used to flatten wrinkles in clothes; starts with I.
8 Across: Energizes, with 'up'Hint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a phrase meaning to boost someone's energy or mood.
  2. Hint 2: Often paired with 'up,' this means to add enthusiasm or liveliness.
  3. Hint 3: To invigorate or add spirit, as in motivating a team; starts with P.

Down

1 Down: Twenty, to a poetHint
  1. Hint 1: This is an old-fashioned or poetic way to count a large number.
  2. Hint 2: Lincoln famously began a speech with 'Four and seven years ago' using this term for twenty.
  3. Hint 3: A word meaning a set of twenty, famously used in the Gettysburg Address; starts with S.
2 Down: Group of scouts or soldiersHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a term for an organized group of people, often in uniform.
  2. Hint 2: This word describes a unit of soldiers or a group within scouting organizations.
  3. Hint 3: A collective term for a band of soldiers or young scouts; starts with T.
3 Down: Brings home as a salaryHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what you do each payday.
  2. Hint 2: This verb describes receiving money in exchange for work done.
  3. Hint 3: To earn wages through employment; starts with E.
4 Down: Public broadcaster, in briefHint
  1. Hint 1: This is an abbreviation for a well-known non-commercial TV and radio network in the U.S.
  2. Hint 2: Known for shows like Sesame Street, this organization avoids commercial ads.
  3. Hint 3: The abbreviation for the Public Broadcasting Service; starts with P.
6 Down: Quick swimHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a brief, refreshing activity you might do in a pool on a hot day.
  2. Hint 2: This short plunge into water is quicker and more casual than a full swim.
  3. Hint 3: A brief dunk into water for fun or refreshment; starts with D.

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 #390 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 4-Down and 6-Down; the four-letter slots are 1-Across, 5-Across, 7-Across and 8-Across; the five-letter slots are 6-Across, 1-Down, 2-Down and 3-Down.

Clues to try first

  • 4-Down, “Public broadcaster, in brief”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.

More for October 25, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #390. 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 #389 (October 24, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Morning moisture on the grass”.

October 25, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 25, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 25, 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/2026-10-25 reveals one answer at a time.