Our Mini Crossword Hints: November 5, 2026

Across

1 Across: Every last oneHint

Hint 1: Think about how you'd describe a complete group with no exceptions.
Hint 2: It's a short word meaning 'the whole lot' or 'everything without exception'.
Hint 3: This means totality or everything included, and it starts with A.

4 Across: Standoffish and distantHint

Hint 1: This describes someone's social attitude toward others.
Hint 2: Think of someone who keeps their distance emotionally, like being cold or reserved.
Hint 3: This means emotionally distant or reserved, and it starts with A.

6 Across: Celebratory smoke after a big winHint

Hint 1: Think about a classic victory ritual involving tobacco.
Hint 2: Winners sometimes light one of these up to mark a big achievement, like after a championship.
Hint 3: This is a rolled tobacco product smoked to celebrate, and it starts with C.

7 Across: Dark black colorHint

Hint 1: This clue is about a very deep shade often used to describe hair or wood.
Hint 2: It's a rich, glossy black often associated with a type of dense wood or piano keys.
Hint 3: This means a deep black color like a certain hardwood, and it starts with E.

8 Across: Those in power, with 'the'Hint

Hint 1: Think about political terminology describing who's currently governing.
Hint 2: This refers to the party or group currently holding office, as opposed to the 'outs'.
Hint 3: This means those currently in power or office, and it starts with I.

Down

1 Down: Suspect's 'I was elsewhere' claimHint

Hint 1: This is a legal term related to proving innocence.
Hint 2: It's the defense claim that someone was somewhere else when a crime occurred.
Hint 3: This means an excuse proving you weren't at the scene, and it starts with A.

2 Down: Enter a password to access an accountHint

Hint 1: Think about what you do before checking your email or social media.
Hint 2: This is the act of entering your credentials to access an online account.
Hint 3: This means to sign into a system using your username and password, and it starts with L.

3 Down: Bank advances you pay back with interestHint

Hint 1: Think about what people take out from a financial institution.
Hint 2: These are sums of money borrowed that must be repaid, often with extra cost.
Hint 3: This means borrowed money that accrues interest, and it starts with L.

4 Down: Top card in many gamesHint

Hint 1: Think about playing cards and their highest value.
Hint 2: In many games, this card can be worth one or the highest value, like in blackjack.
Hint 3: This is the highest-ranking card in a standard deck, and it starts with A.

5 Down: Cook in hot oilHint

Hint 1: Think about a cooking method using oil in a pan.
Hint 2: This is how you'd prepare bacon or french fries using a hot pan or deep oil.
Hint 3: This means to cook food in hot oil or fat, and it starts with F.

Before you open a hint

Mini #401 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, 8-Across, 4-Down and 5-Down; the five-letter slots are 4-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-Across, “Every last one”, at three words; the longest is 2-Down, “Enter a password to access an account”, at seven words.

More for November 5, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #401. 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 #400 (November 4, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Shrub or hedge plant”; the day after, Mini #402 (November 6, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Blow one's top, in a snit”.

November 5, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the November 5, 2026 Mini Crossword?

Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own November 5, 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/2026-11-05 reveals one answer at a time.