One of two end-of-October options

Latest answer — September 16, 2026

8 Across

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Clue explained

TREAT is one half of the familiar Halloween choice “trick or treat”; the other end-of-October option is TRICK. The clue refers to that paired expression without spelling it out.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
Children in costumes participating in Halloween trick-or-treating.

WaPo Mini Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1See 5-Down
  2. 4How some couples grow
  3. 7Number of completed 2-Downs that Prokofiev composed
  4. 8One of two end-of-October options
  5. 9It may be just as unacceptable as an "if" or a "but"

Down

  1. 1What many people do intermittently
  2. 2Prokofiev's "Betrothal in a Monastery," e.g.
  3. 3Kind of bird that Matthew is on Netflix's "The Sandman"
  4. 5With 1-Across, audition to get, as a role
  5. 6Stuff to level with

The answer to “One of two end-of-October options” in the The Washington Post Mini crossword is TREAT — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 16, 2026 at 8-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“One of two end-of-October options” answer

TREAT (5 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's TREAT.

What does TREAT mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of TREAT is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(verb)

  • behave towards or deal with in a certain way
  • give medical care or attention to; try to heal or cure
  • apply a process or a substance to (something) to protect or preserve it or to give it particular properties

When else has “One of two end-of-October options” appeared?

The Washington Post Mini reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

September 16, 2026 (most recent) → TREAT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “One of two end-of-October options”?

The answer is TREAT, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “One of two end-of-October options”?

5 letters: TREAT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 16, 2026, at 8-Across.

Can “One of two end-of-October options” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post Mini sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of today's WaPo Mini answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the WaPo Mini answers page.

The Washington Post Mini Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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