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Mini #395 · Friday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: October 30, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #395, 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: Deep unconscious stateHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a deep, prolonged state of unconsciousness, often after severe injury.
  2. Hint 2: A patient in this condition cannot be woken and shows no normal responses.
  3. Hint 3: This word means a profound unresponsive sleep-like state; it starts with C.
5 Across: Impressive display or arrangementHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes how things are set out, often to impress someone.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a dazzling lineup of items or choices, like a buffet or a show of colors.
  3. Hint 3: This word means an eye-catching collection or arrangement; it starts with A.
6 Across: Rocky shelf on a cliffHint
  1. Hint 1: Picture a narrow flat surface jutting out from the side of a mountain or cliff.
  2. Hint 2: Climbers sometimes rest on this kind of rocky outcrop partway up a cliff face.
  3. Hint 3: This word names a narrow shelf of rock on a cliffside; it starts with L.
7 Across: Appears to beHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes how something looks or comes across, even if it isn't certain.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a verb meaning to give the impression of being true, as in 'it looks like it might rain.'
  3. Hint 3: This word means gives the appearance of being something; it starts with S.
8 Across: Green pod used in gumboHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a vegetable commonly used to thicken a certain Southern soup or stew.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a slender green pod popular in Cajun and Creole cooking.
  3. Hint 3: This word names a green vegetable famous in gumbo; it starts with O.

Down

1 Down: Small streamHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a small body of flowing water, smaller than a river.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a babbling little waterway you might find in a forest or park.
  3. Hint 3: This word names a small natural stream of water; it starts with C.
2 Down: Command, or tidinessHint
  1. Hint 1: This word can mean either an instruction to do something or a sense of neatness.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a word that describes both a military directive and a well-organized room.
  3. Hint 3: This word means either a directive or the state of being tidy; it starts with O.
3 Down: Molten rock below the surfaceHint
  1. Hint 1: This is extremely hot liquid rock found beneath the earth's crust.
  2. Hint 2: Think of what volcanoes are full of before it erupts and becomes lava.
  3. Hint 3: This word names molten rock found underground; it starts with M.
4 Down: Votes in favorHint
  1. Hint 1: This word represents a positive response in a formal vote.
  2. Hint 2: Think of what's shouted in favor during a roll call vote in a legislature.
  3. Hint 3: This word means votes of approval; it starts with A.
5 Down: In addition; tooHint
  1. Hint 1: This short word is used to add something extra to a sentence.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a word meaning 'additionally' or 'as well.'
  3. Hint 3: This word means 'in addition'; it starts with A.

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 #395 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

None of the ten clues is a fill-in-the-blank, a quotation, a question-mark clue or a marked short form. Read each one as a plain definition first. The shortest clue is 1-Down, “Small stream”, at two words; the longest is 6-Across, “Rocky shelf on a cliff”, at five words.

More for October 30, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #395. 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 #394 (October 29, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Gentle collision, or a swelling from one”.

October 30, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 30, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 30, 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/2026-10-30 reveals one answer at a time.