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Mini #408 · Thursday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: November 12, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #408, 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: Robin or sparrowHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about small flying creatures you'd see outside your window.
  2. Hint 2: These animals have feathers, lay eggs, and often sing in the morning.
  3. Hint 3: A general term for a feathered, egg-laying creature that starts with B.
5 Across: Workers' organized groupHint
  1. Hint 1: This word relates to labor and collective bargaining.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a group that negotiates wages and conditions for its members, like the AFL-CIO.
  3. Hint 3: An organized association of workers that starts with U.
7 Across: Give a gentle push toHint
  1. Hint 1: This is about a soft physical action, not a hard shove.
  2. Hint 2: Imagine gently poking someone's elbow to get their attention.
  3. Hint 3: A light touch or prod meant to get attention, starts with N.
8 Across: Greek letter used for 'sum' in mathHint
  1. Hint 1: This clue is about a symbol from a foreign alphabet used in math.
  2. Hint 2: In math, this symbol looks like a capital E and represents adding up a series of numbers.
  3. Hint 3: The Greek letter used for summation in math, starts with S.
9 Across: Rip in a pageHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes damage you might find in an old book.
  2. Hint 2: Think of what happens when paper rips or splits apart.
  3. Hint 3: A word for a rip or split in paper, starts with T.

Down

1 Down: Hot dog holdersHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what holds a hot dog together at a cookout.
  2. Hint 2: This bread item is sliced open to hold a sausage or burger.
  3. Hint 3: The soft bread roll used for hot dogs or burgers, starts with B.
2 Down: Indigenous people of the ArcticHint
  1. Hint 1: This clue is about a native group living in a very cold northern region.
  2. Hint 2: These people are traditionally associated with igloos and life near the Arctic Circle.
  3. Hint 3: The indigenous people of the Arctic region, starts with I.
3 Down: Top line of a roofHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the highest part of a building's roof structure.
  2. Hint 2: This is the peak line where two roof slopes meet at the top.
  3. Hint 3: The top horizontal line of a roof, starts with R.
4 Down: Firmly held belief or doctrineHint
  1. Hint 1: This word relates to strongly held beliefs, often religious or ideological.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a set of principles that followers accept without question.
  3. Hint 3: A firmly established belief or doctrine, starts with D.
6 Down: Close byHint
  1. Hint 1: This clue is about proximity or distance.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a word meaning 'not far away' or 'close in location.'
  3. Hint 3: A word meaning close by or adjacent, starts with N.

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 #408 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, 9-Across, 1-Down and 6-Down; the five-letter slots are 5-Across, 7-Across, 8-Across, 2-Down, 3-Down and 4-Down.

Clues to try first

  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 2-Down, “Indigenous people of the Arctic”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for November 12, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #408. 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 #407 (November 11, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Stylish and fashionable”.

November 12, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the November 12, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own November 12, 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/2026-11-12 reveals one answer at a time.