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Fictional sports icon with a statue by the Philadelphia Museum of Art - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The clue "Try to tag" refers to the game of tag, where players try to touch (or "tag") others by chasing them. The word "CHASING" represents the act of pursuing someone to tag them, and CHASE is its concise form, fitting perfectly as the crossword answer.
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The answer is ROCKY because Rocky Balboa, the fictional boxer from the film series "Rocky," is an iconic sports figure whose story is set in Philadelphia. A statue of Rocky, originally a movie prop, now stands near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, symbolizing his cultural significance.
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The clue "Loosen, as laces" directly relates to the action of making shoelaces less tight. The word "untie" means to loosen or undo something that is fastened or knotted, such as laces. Thus, UNTIE perfectly matches the clue both in action and context.
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The answer "MOON" fits because, in folklore, werewolves traditionally transform during a full moon. The moon's phases are closely associated with werewolf mythology, emphasizing its role as the trigger for their transformation. This connection makes "MOON" the logical and thematic answer to the clue.
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The clue "It's freezing!" is in quotes, signaling a spoken expression or sound. "BRR" mimics the involuntary sound people often make when they're cold, expressing the freezing sensation. It's a playful, onomatopoeic representation of shivering due to cold temperatures.
Down
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The clue "Table tidbit" suggests something small or insignificant often found on a table. A "CRUMB" is a tiny piece of food that remains on a table after eating, fitting the definition perfectly as a tidbit. The singular form also aligns with "tidbit," which denotes one small piece.
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The clue "Pay homage to" directly means to show respect or admiration for someone or something. The word "HONOR" perfectly fits as it means to regard with great respect, which aligns with the act of paying homage. Both expressions share the same intent of reverence or esteem.
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The clue refers to Adam Driver, Bradley Cooper, and Gerard Butler, all of whom are well-known as actors. Since their profession is being entertainers in films or theater, "ACTOR" is the correct answer. This is a straightforward clue naming individuals by their famous careers.
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The poison dart frog’s toxicity comes from potent alkaloid toxins secreted through its skin. This adaptation deters predators. The clue is direct, asking for the poisonous part, and SKIN fits both biologically and linguistically, as it’s the frog's outer layer carrying the poison.
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The "eye" of a needle refers to the small opening at one end of a sewing needle where thread is inserted. This is a straightforward clue without wordplay, directly describing a part of a needle. Hence, the answer is EYE.
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 5-letter answer to the Fictional sports icon with a statue by the Philadelphia Museum of Art 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.
Fictional sports icon with a statue by the Philadelphia Museum of Art Answer Explained
The answer is ROCKY.
This clue leans on pop culture. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is famous for the “Rocky Steps” — the stairs Sylvester Stallone runs up in the Rocky movies. There’s a bronze statue of Rocky Balboa nearby, which makes this an instant giveaway if you know the reference. If you didn’t, you might get stuck thinking of real athletes from Philadelphia, like boxers or football players, but the key is “fictional sports icon.” That rules out real people and narrows the field to sports movie characters. Once I remembered the ROCKY connection, the answer clicked.
Now that you've cracked the 6A Fictional sports icon with a statue by the Philadelphia Museum of Art 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
Joel Fagliano’s Sunday Mini mixes everyday language with a few playful knowledge checks. You’ll find pop-culture references, a bit of animal science, and some sports trivia tucked in alongside straightforward, literal clues. Nothing too tricky, but some clues hide their intent until crossings help unlock them.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
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.
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