NYT Mini Answer for Mar 5, 2025

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Possible words for each clue

1-Across. Moon stage, like 8-Across or 2-Down

Possible 5-letter words for this clue:

PHASE ORBIT LUNAR GIBBO CRESC

6-Across. Comedic actor ___ Baron Cohen

Possible 5-letter words for this clue:

HOUSE SACHA CLINT BARRY BRUCE

7-Across. Change

Possible 5-letter words for this clue:

ALTER SHIFT CHANG ALTER MODIF

8-Across. See 1-Across

Possible 4-letter words for this clue:

ABLE FULL EAST LATE ABLE

9-Across. Paper towel layer

Possible 3-letter words for this clue:

PLY PAP PLY TOW LAY

1-Down. Educational TV spot, for short

Possible 3-letter words for this clue:

PSA CAT DOG EAT TVS

2-Down. See 1-Across

Possible 4-letter words for this clue:

HALF ABLE FACE EYES HARE

3-Down. Misbehave … or malfunction

Possible 5-letter words for this clue:

BREAK ACTUP FAULT STRAI CRASH

4-Down. Beachcomber's keepsake

Possible 5-letter words for this clue:

HOUSE SHELL JEWEL ROCKS SEALS

5-Down. How nervous travelers arrive at the airport

Possible 5-letter words for this clue:

EARLY FLYER CHECK BOARD TICKE

Based on the hints provided, have you managed to deduce the solution? If you're still unable to come up with an answer, please refer to the options listed below.

Today's Answers Explained

Moon stage, like 8-Across or 2-Down

The hint "Moon stage, like 8-Across or 2-Down" is related to the word "PHASE" in English because it refers to the different stages or phases of the moon.

In a crossword puzzle, "8-Across" and "2-Down" would be clues to words that are related to the phases of the moon. The answer to these clues would likely be words like "NEW" (new moon), "FULL" (full moon), or "GIBBOUS" (gibbous moon), which are all phases of the moon.

The word "PHASE" itself refers to a stage or period of time in a cycle, which is fitting for the different stages of the moon.

Comedic actor ___ Baron Cohen

The relationship between the hint "Comedic actor ___ Baron Cohen" and the word "SACHA in English" is that the blank space is filled by the name "Sacha", which is the first name of the British comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen.

Change

The word "ALTER" in English is related to the hint "Change" because "alter" is a verb that means to make something different or to change it in some way.

See 1-Across

The relationship between the hint "See 1-Across" and the word "FULL" in English is that the word "FULL" is an anagram of the phrase "L-U-F-F-L" which can be rearranged to spell out the words "L-U-F-F-L" and "F-U-L-L" which is the word "FULL" and "1-Across" is referring to the first answer across in a crossword puzzle.

Paper towel layer

The hint "Paper towel layer" is related to the word "PLY" in English because a paper towel is often packaged in multiple layers, and each layer is referred to as a "ply".

Educational TV spot, for short

The hint "Educational TV spot, for short" is related to the word "PSA in English" because "PSA" is an abbreviation for "Public Service Announcement," which is a type of educational or informative TV spot.

See 1-Across

The word "HALF" is related to the hint "See 1-Across" because it is a common phrase used in crossword puzzles.

In a crossword puzzle, the numbers across the top of the puzzle indicate which clue to look at first. The numbers in the grid itself indicate which clue to look at next.

For example, if a clue says "See 1-Across," it means that the answer to the current clue can be found in the answer to the clue labeled "1-Across."

In the case of the word "HALF," it is often used as a clue for the answer to 1-Across, which might be a phrase or a word that is related to the concept of "half."

Misbehave … or malfunction

The hint "Misbehave … or malfunction" is related to the word "ACT UP" in English.

"ACT UP" is an acronym for "AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power." It is a direct-action advocacy group that was formed in 1987 to fight against the AIDS epidemic and to advocate for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The phrase "Misbehave … or malfunction" is a play on words, suggesting that if one does not take action (ACT UP), they will either misbehave (fail to take action) or malfunction (fail to address the issue of AIDS).

Beachcomber's keepsake

The relationship between the hint "Beachcomber's keepsake" and the word "SHELL" in English is that a beachcomber is someone who searches for items on a beach, and a common item found on beaches is shells, which are often kept as a keepsake or souvenir.

How nervous travelers arrive at the airport

The word "EARLY" in English is related to the hint "How nervous travelers arrive at the airport" because the word "EARLY" sounds like "early", which is a common time for nervous travelers to arrive at the airport.