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Mini #407 · Wednesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: November 11, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #407, 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: Stylish and fashionableHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about how you'd describe someone with a trendy, polished sense of style.
  2. Hint 2: It's the word you'd use for something elegant and in vogue, like a boutique's look.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning fashionable and elegant, it starts with C.
5 Across: Unrefined, like petroleumHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes something in its raw, unprocessed natural state.
  2. Hint 2: Think of oil straight out of the ground before it's refined.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning unrefined or raw, it starts with C.
6 Across: Yellow citrus fruitHint
  1. Hint 1: Picture a tart, bright-colored fruit often used in lemonade.
  2. Hint 2: It's the citrus fruit that's sour and yellow, great for making a tangy drink.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning a sour yellow citrus fruit, it starts with L.
7 Across: Grown-upHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes someone who has reached full maturity.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the opposite of a child, someone legally and physically mature.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning a mature person, it starts with A.
8 Across: Green growth on damp rocksHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a soft green growth you might see on a shaded, wet stone.
  2. Hint 2: It's the fuzzy green plant life found on tree bark or damp rocks in forests.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning a green plant growth on damp surfaces, it starts with M.

Down

1 Down: A set of guiding beliefsHint
  1. Hint 1: This word refers to a personal or organizational statement of core values.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a guiding philosophy or motto that someone lives by.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning a set of guiding beliefs, it starts with C.
2 Down: Dark, rich soil component from decayed matterHint
  1. Hint 1: This is something gardeners prize for enriching soil.
  2. Hint 2: It's the organic material formed from decomposed leaves and plants that makes soil fertile.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning decayed organic matter in soil, it starts with H.
3 Down: Celebrities admired by fansHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about who fans might worship or put posters of on their walls.
  2. Hint 2: These are the famous figures that people admire, like movie stars or singers.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning admired celebrities, it starts with I.
4 Down: One-hundredth of a dollarHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a small unit of money you might find in a jar on your desk.
  2. Hint 2: It's the coin value that makes up a small fraction of a dollar.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning one-hundredth of a dollar, it starts with C.
5 Down: Shellfish with a hinged shellHint
  1. Hint 1: This creature lives in a shell you might find at the beach.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a hinged-shell sea creature often used in chowder.
  3. Hint 3: Meaning a hinged-shell shellfish, it starts with C.

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 #407 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 7-Across, “Grown-up”, at one word; the longest is 2-Down, “Dark, rich soil component from decayed matter”, at seven words.

More for November 11, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #407. 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 #406 (November 10, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Places to grab a drink”; the day after, Mini #408 (November 12, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Robin or sparrow”.

November 11, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the November 11, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own November 11, 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/2026-11-11 reveals one answer at a time.