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"Link in ___" (promotional catchphrase on social media) - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The phrase "Link in bio" is often used on social media platforms, like Instagram, where users direct followers to click the link in their profile’s "bio" section for more details, promotions, or external content. The clue refers to this widely recognized promotional phrase.
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The clue "They're ground in a coffee grinder" refers to what is commonly placed in a grinder to make coffee. Coffee beans are ground to create coffee grounds for brewing. "Beans" fits as the plural noun matching the clue's context and accurately names the item used.
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The clue "Bike riders' headwear" directly refers to the protective gear worn on the head by cyclists. HELMETS are essential safety equipment designed to protect riders in case of falls or accidents. The plural form matches the clue’s plural phrasing, making HELMETS the correct answer.
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The answer is BEEFSTEAK because "beefsteak" is both a variety of tomato known for its large size and meaty texture, and also a type of meat (a steak from beef). The clue cleverly plays on this dual meaning to guide you to the solution.
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The clue plays on wordplay and double meaning. "Shoe spec" refers to shoe width sizes, with "extra wide" being a common size. The puzzle itself features an unusually wide grid or structure, metaphorically describing it as “EXTRA WIDE.” Hence, the answer fits both the shoe spec and describes the puzzle.
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The clue "Cha-ching, nothin' to it!" uses playful wordplay. "Cha-ching" refers to an easy financial gain, and "nothin' to it" emphasizes simplicity. Together, they hint at EASY MONEY, meaning effortless earnings or profit, aligning perfectly with the tone and phrasing of the clue.
Down
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The answer "BELFRY" fits the clue as it is a part of a church where bells are housed, often high in a tower. The pun lies in "where bats hang out"—literal bats may inhabit such spaces, and "bats in the belfry" suggests wild or crazy thoughts!
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The clue references the famous Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham. The opening line, as narrated by the protagonist, is "I am Sam." This matches exactly with the answer "IAMSAM," making it the perfectly fitting solution. Fun fact: San Ezeeski, the constructor of this puzzle is also SAM.
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The answer "ONETWO" refers to a common combination of punches in boxing: a quick jab ("one") followed by a straight cross punch ("two"). This classic combo is a fundamental technique, making it a fitting solution for the clue "Boxing punch combo."
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The answer is BEETS because they are root vegetables that have a deep purple color and are commonly sliced and added to salads. The clue specifically mentions "purple slices," clearly pointing to beets as they are well-known for their vibrant hue and frequent use in salads.
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The answer is STEIN because a "stein" is a traditional large beer mug often used in Germany, particularly during Oktoberfest. This link between the German festival and its quintessential beer-drinking vessel makes STEIN the fitting solution for the clue.
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HEXA is the prefix for hexadecimal, a base-16 numbering system used in coding and computing. In hexadecimal, numbers are represented using 16 symbols: 0-9 and A-F. It serves as a complement to "decimal," the base-10 system, making HEXA the correct prefix in this context.
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The answer is SADE because "Smooth Operator" is a famous 1985 hit by the British-Nigerian singer Sade Adu, known mononymously as Sade. She gained global recognition for her soulful, jazzy style and her distinctive voice, perfectly aligning with the "one-named hit singer" description in the clue.
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The answer is BEE because "Spelling ___" refers to spelling competitions commonly called "Spelling Bees." This phrase connects the concept of a "bee," which can mean a gathering or contest, with the activity of spelling words. It's a direct, widely-recognized term.
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The answer "KEY" fits "Paper with the answers" because a "key" is often referred to as an answer sheet or guide that provides the solutions to questions, such as in tests or puzzles. It's a concise term for something that reveals the correct responses.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 3-letter answer to the "Link in ___" (promotional catchphrase on social media) 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.
"Link in ___" (promotional catchphrase on social media) Answer Explained
The answer is BIO.
"Link in blank" immediately calls to mind that classic influencer line: “Link in bio.” You’ve probably seen it a hundred times in Instagram captions, TikTok videos, or YouTube descriptions. They’ll say, “Check out the link in ___,” and the blank is always the BIO, short for biography. That’s the section at the top of a profile where users can paste a single clickable link. It’s a social media staple because platforms often restrict where links can be placed. So even if the clue feels like a sentence fragment, the pop culture familiarity of “Link in bio” makes it click.
Now that you've cracked the 1A "Link in ___" (promotional catchphrase on social media) 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
A standout Saturday Mini from Spelling Bee editor Sam Ezersky! This unusual 6×9 grid is wider than your typical Mini and visually striking, with a symmetrical black-square pattern up top. The puzzle plays big too, with clues spanning coding, boxing, salads, and classic kids' lit, including cheeky nods to the constructor himself with “I am Sam” and "Spelling Bee"
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Variety of tomato whose name is also a meat
- Shoe spec that describes this puzzle?
- "Cha-ching, nothin' to it!"
- Church spot where bats hang out
- The first three words of "Green Eggs and Ham," straight from the narrator
- Boxing punch combo
- Purple slices in a salad
- Oktoberfest glass
- Prefix with decimal, in coding
- One-named hit singer with 1985's "Smooth Operator"
- Paper with the answers
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.