Mini Crossword October 31, 2026: Clues & Answers

Mini Crossword hints, one rung at a time

Five rungs, from grid facts to a nudge per clue. The recap above already summed the grid up, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying it fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.

1. 1 Hint 1: Grid facts

   Counted off the grid.

   Grid

   7 × 7

   Clues

   8 across, 8 down

   Answer lengths

   3–7 letters

2. 2 Hint 2: Across clues, with an extra nudge each

   Open only the one you want.

   1 Across — Candy holder for a trick-or-treater (3)

   Common trick-or-treat container

   4 Across — Org. interested in Mars and the Milky Way (4)

   Space exploration organization

   5 Across — Half Starburst, half Skittle? (7)

   Mixed candy mashup concept

   8 Across — Golfer's goal (3)

   Golfing target number

   9 Across — Iconic Australian animal, for short (3)

   Symbolic Aussie wildlife

   10 Across — Half Airhead, half candy corn? (7)

   Mixed candy hybrid idea

   12 Across — Half Mounds, half Reese's? (6)

   Candy combination possibilities

   13 Across — Female sheep (3)

   Female sheep terminology

3. 3 Hint 3: Down clues, with an extra nudge each

   Same treatment, the other way.

   1 Down — Candy ___ (3)

   Chocolate treat format

   2 Down — Houston baseball team (6)

   Texas MLB team nickname

   3 Down — Aplenty (6)

   Abundance descriptive phrase

   4 Down — Opposite of wide (6)

   Opposite of expansive

   5 Down — Health resort (3)

   Relaxation getaway type

   6 Down — "Je ___" (French "I love you") (5)

   French romantic phrase

   7 Down — Many, many millennia (4)

   Geologic time scale unit

   11 Down — Shade of a color (3)

   Color variation descriptor

4. 4 Hint 4: First letter of every answer

   One letter each.

   1 Across

   B… (3 letters)

   4 Across

   N… (4 letters)

   5 Across

   S… (7 letters)

   8 Across

   P… (3 letters)

   9 Across

   R… (3 letters)

   10 Across

   A… (7 letters)

   12 Across

   M… (6 letters)

   13 Across

   E… (3 letters)

   1 Down

   B… (3 letters)

   2 Down

   A… (6 letters)

   3 Down

   G… (6 letters)

   4 Down

   N… (6 letters)

   5 Down

   S… (3 letters)

   6 Down

   T… (5 letters)

   7 Down

   E… (4 letters)

   11 Down

   H… (3 letters)

5. 5 Hint 5: Where the grid opened up

   Last rung before the filled answers.

   1 Across was the shortest entry at 3 letters, and every crossing it made handed over a free letter elsewhere.

   Open the answers, clue by clue