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Bill's time-traveling partner of film - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The solution "NICHE" rhymes with "sheesh" in its common American pronunciation and "pitch" in British pronunciation, fitting the clue's playful hint about differing pronunciations. "Niche" is also an adjective describing a specialized, narrowly focused area, aligning with the adjectival requirement.
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The answer is SQUID because the "Colossal Squid" is a real marine animal, known for its massive size. It’s distinct from the giant squid and is notoriously elusive. The clue references a groundbreaking event in 2025, aligning with this creature's rare documentation in its natural habitat.
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The answer "FURRY" fits because some caterpillars are covered in hair-like structures, giving them a furry or hairy appearance. The clue "Like some caterpillars" describes their physical trait, and "furry" aptly captures this characteristic.
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The clue "Some spouses" refers to individuals who are married. "WIVES" specifically denotes female spouses, making it the accurate answer. The word "some" suggests a subset of spouses, aligning with wives as one type within the broader category of married partners.
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“Time-traveling partner” and the name “Bill” point straight to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, the cult ’80s movie where Bill and TED travel through time in a phone booth. If you know the reference, it’s an easy one, but without it, this clue leans tricky, relying on pop culture knowledge.
Down
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The answer "NSFW" stands for "Not Safe For Work," a term used online to label content (e.g., images, videos, or links) that is inappropriate for viewing in professional or public settings due to explicit or sensitive material.
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The clue "You can take this job and shove it!" is in quotation marks, indicating a spoken phrase. The sentiment expressed aligns perfectly with "I QUIT," a direct way to tell someone you're leaving a job in frustration or defiance, matching the attitude of the clue.
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The answer "CURVE" fits because a winding road is characterized by turns and bends. A "curve" is a natural feature of such a road's design, describing its deviation from straightness. The clue directly hints at this physical attribute, making "CURVE" an accurate and logical solution.
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The clue "Added to the payroll" directly suggests the act of officially bringing someone onto a company's staff, which is described by the word "HIRED." When someone is hired, they are added to the payroll system to receive wages or a salary.
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The answer is EDYS because Dreyer's ice cream is marketed under the name "Edy's" on the East Coast due to trademark conflicts. It's the same brand but uses a different name depending on the U.S. region. This clue tests knowledge of this branding distinction.
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 3-letter answer to the Bill's time-traveling partner of film 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.
Bill's time-traveling partner of film Answer Explained
The answer is TED.
The phrase “time-traveling partner” immediately evokes science fiction or comedy. And “Bill’s” name is in the clue, so we’re meant to recall a famous duo. If you’ve seen Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, this is a gimme. But even if you haven’t, it’s a solid cultural reference. Bill and Ted travel through time in a phone booth to pass their history class, a cult classic from the late ’80s. So TED is the answer, and it’s a reminder of how crossword clues often assume shared pop culture knowledge. If you don’t have it, though, this could be a stumper.
Now that you've cracked the 9A Bill's time-traveling partner of film 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 Thursday Mini by Wyna Liu, the brilliant mind behind Connections, brings her signature flair for layered wordplay and pop culture nods. This compact grid packs in a fun mix: there's a clever pronunciation clue, a time-traveling throwback, something tentacled and newsy, and a sneaky brand switch that might stump even seasoned solvers. It's a great example of how a Mini can feel both current and delightfully tricky.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Adjective that rhymes with "sheesh" or "pitch," depending on who you ask
- Colossal ___, marine animal filmed in its natural habitat for the first time in 2025
- Like some caterpillars
- Some spouses
- Letters meaning "Don't click this in public!"
- "You can take this job and shove it!"
- Feature of a winding road
- Added to the payroll
- Dreyer's ice cream, on the East Coast
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.