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Mini #391 · Monday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: October 26, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #391, 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: Not herHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about pronouns and who this one is contrasting with.
  2. Hint 2: If 'her' refers to a woman, this word refers to a man.
  3. Hint 3: A pronoun for a male person, starts with H.
4 Across: Sharp part of a knifeHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the parts that make up a knife.
  2. Hint 2: This is the cutting edge, the part that actually slices things.
  3. Hint 3: The flat, sharp piece of a knife or sword, starts with B.
6 Across: Mechanical worker that may vacuum your floorHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about household gadgets and automation.
  2. Hint 2: This is a machine that can act on its own, like a famous vacuuming gadget brand.
  3. Hint 3: A mechanical device that can do tasks automatically, starts with R.
7 Across: Lesser of two ___ (tough choice)Hint
  1. Hint 1: This completes a common phrase about picking between two bad options.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the word that means 'bad things' or 'wrongs' in that saying.
  3. Hint 3: Plural of a word meaning wicked or bad things, starts with E.
8 Across: Soaked by rainHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about how you'd feel if you got caught in a downpour without an umbrella.
  2. Hint 2: This describes something soaked or drenched with moisture.
  3. Hint 3: The opposite of dry, starts with W.

Down

1 Down: Nun's outfit, or a hard-to-break routineHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about something a nun wears, or a behavior you repeat without thinking.
  2. Hint 2: This word can mean a religious garment or a routine that's hard to quit, like smoking.
  3. Hint 3: A repeated pattern of behavior or a nun's clothing, starts with H.
2 Down: Someone adored by fansHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about someone famous who has a huge fan base.
  2. Hint 2: This is a person worshipped or admired intensely, often a celebrity.
  3. Hint 3: A person greatly admired, like a celebrity, starts with I.
3 Down: New York baseball teamHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about Major League Baseball teams based in New York City.
  2. Hint 2: This team plays in Queens and is one of New York's two baseball clubs.
  3. Hint 3: New York's National League baseball team, starts with M.
4 Down: What a kettle helps you make at teatime?Hint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what happens when hot water meets tea leaves.
  2. Hint 2: This is the process or result of steeping tea in hot water.
  3. Hint 3: To make tea or coffee by steeping, starts with B.
5 Down: Deep affection, or zero in tennisHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about either a strong emotion or a tennis scoring term.
  2. Hint 2: In tennis, this word means a score of zero; emotionally, it's a strong affection.
  3. Hint 3: A deep feeling of affection, also meaning zero in tennis, 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 #391 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-Across and 8-Across; the four-letter slots are 2-Down, 3-Down, 4-Down and 5-Down; the five-letter slots are 4-Across, 6-Across, 7-Across and 1-Down.

Clues to try first

  • 7-Across, “Lesser of two ___ (tough choice)”, is a fill-in-the-blank: say the phrase out loud and the missing word often jumps out.
  • 4-Down, “What a kettle helps you make at teatime?”, ends in a question mark, which in crosswords usually signals wordplay.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 3-Down, “New York baseball team”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for October 26, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #391. 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 #390 (October 25, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Stair unit”.

October 26, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 26, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 26, 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/2026-10-26 reveals one answer at a time.