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Poe, Pope or Pound - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The answer is ALEX because Alexander "Alex" Ovechkin, a professional hockey player, is known for breaking Wayne Gretzky's record with the most goals in NHL history. His first name, Alex, is commonly used as a shorthand for Alexander, making it the fitting answer to the clue.
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The term "stand-in" refers to someone or something that acts as a substitute or replacement. The word "PROXY" perfectly aligns with this definition, as a proxy is someone authorized to act on another's behalf or a placeholder for another person or entity.
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The answer "ADBIZ" is a shortened, informal way of saying "advertising business." Marketing professionals often work within the advertising world, and the clue's use of "informally" hints at a casual abbreviation like this. It's a concise, colloquial representation of the industry.
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The clue lists Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Pope, and Ezra Pound—all renowned figures in literature known for their poetry. The common thread connecting them is their work as poets, making POET the clear and accurate answer.
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The answer "IRS" refers to the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. tax agency. The pun lies in "give you a break"—the IRS oversees tax breaks (deductions and credits) but is also humorously implied to give taxpayers an actual "break" from taxes, which they rarely do. The question mark signals this wordplay.
Down
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The answer "ARDOR" fits the clue "Intense passion" because "ardor" directly means great enthusiasm, fervor, or passion in English. It precisely matches the meaning of the clue, describing an intense emotional or energetic passion for something or someone.
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The answer is LOBES because the outer ear includes structures called lobes (earlobes), and the brain is divided into sections called lobes (e.g., frontal, parietal). Both the ear and brain share this anatomical term, making it the correct fit for the clue.
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The answer "EXIT" fits because glowing "EXIT" signs are prominently displayed above theater doors as safety indicators. They are illuminated to guide patrons out during emergencies or after the movie ends, matching the clue's description of a "Glowing sign in a movie theater."
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The answer "XYZ" represents the last three letters of the English alphabet, making it a fitting solution for the clue "End of the alphabet." It directly references the final sequence, making this a straightforward and literal interpretation of the clue.
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The clue specifies "Spanish term of endearment," signaling the answer will be in Spanish. "Papi" is a common, affectionate term in Spanish, translating to "daddy" or "dad." It's often used to lovingly address fathers or significant others, making it the fitting solution to this clue.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 4-letter answer to the Poe, Pope or Pound clue? Don’t worry—Lady Puzzle Pro has you covered! Whether you want the answer right away, revealed letter by letter, or this wordplay seems too puzzling, keep reading for the explanation.
Poe, Pope or Pound Answer Explained
The answer is POET.
First, I notice all three names start with 'P,' so that might be a distraction, but then I realize they’re not just any people, they’re all literary figures. Poe is Edgar Allan Poe, known for his macabre poetry and short stories. Pope is Alexander Pope, the English satirist and poet. Pound is Ezra Pound, a modernist poet. So the common thread? They’re all POETS. The clue doesn’t specify time period, genre, or nationality, which makes it trickier. You have to recognize the names and know their shared occupation. It’s a nice example of a lateral, trivia-based clue that rewards well-rounded knowledge.
Now that you've cracked the 7A Poe, Pope or Pound clue, you're one step closer to completing today’s Mini Puzzle! If you're still stuck on other clues, don't worry—we've got you covered. Explore more NYT Mini crossword answers right here, or check out our tools for solving the NYT Crossword, Connections, or Strands.
Today’s NYT Mini Highlights
Today’s Wednesday Mini by Sam Ezersky, the editor of Spelling Bee, steps up the challenge a bit. There’s a nice mix of pop culture, wordplay, and more abstract thinking—like interpreting what a “stand-in” could mean or spotting industry slang. Some clues play off double meanings, while others lean on niche knowledge. It’s tighter and trickier than earlier in the week but still satisfying.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Ovechkin who broke Wayne Gretzky's N.H.L. goals record
- Stand-in
- Industry for marketing professionals, informally
- Org. that really ought to give you a break?
- Intense passion
- Parts of ears and brains
- Glowing sign in a movie theater
- End of the alphabet
- Spanish term of endearment
About NYT The Mini
NYT The Mini Crossword is a compact version of the New York Times Crossword puzzle. Usually 5 x 5, with larger grids on Saturdays, it offers mid-week equivalent difficulty clues with no progression over the week. It is accessible to anyone with or without a New York Times account. You can play it on nytimes.com/crosswords, The New York Times Games app (iOS and Android), and the Play tab of the New York Times News app. Games and All Access Subscribers can solve past Mini Crossword puzzles in the archive.
Daily Availability
Puzzles are accessible the evening before the publish date. Weekday and Saturday puzzles: 10 p.m. EST the previous day. Sunday puzzles: 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
How to Play - Features and Tips
Fill white squares with letters to form intersecting words or phrases by solving clues in Across and Down columns. Read our guide to NYT Mini Mastery to learn how to read the different types of clues. Successfully completed puzzle triggers music and a congratulatory message.
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Arrow keys: Change direction within the same square, move in the direction of the arrow, jump back to the first blank in the word, or jump to the next clue.
- Spacebar: Clear the current square, advance, or toggle between Across and Down.
- Backspace (Delete on Macs): Remove words or a letter from a word.
- Tab key: Jump to the next clue.
- Shift + Tab keys: Jump to the previous clue.
- Escape: Enter Rebus mode.
- Pen and Pencil Modes. Switch between pen and pencil modes by selecting the respective icon. Letters in pen mode are black; in pencil mode, gray.
Letter Colors
Black: Default pen mode entries.
Gray: Pencil mode entries.
Blue: Confirmed letters with Check.
Mini Timer
Time your solving with the timer displayed above the puzzle. Pause/resume using the respective buttons. The timer restarts if the entire puzzle is cleared. Option to hide the timer in Puzzle settings.
In-game Help
- Reveal: Unveil correct letters for a square, answer, or the entire puzzle.
- Check: Verify correctness.
The answers you get using help are marked with a red triangle in the upper right-hand corner of the box while those confirmed with check become blue.
Leaderboards
It’s an additional social resource provided by NYT. You can add friends (up to 100 invitees) to track daily completion and compete.