Mowgli's bear friend (5)

Latest answer — August 21, 2026

18 Across

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Clue decoded

BALOO is the bear who befriends and teaches Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and its adaptations. “Mowgli’s bear friend” identifies the character directly.

Clue type:
Pop culture
An illustration of Baloo, the bear from The Jungle Book.

Guardian Quick Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 21, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Crumble filling - repeated as background chat (7)
  2. 8S American river - Womble (7)
  3. 9The ___ Brief (1993 film) - brainy book imprint (7)
  4. 10Butterfly, captain or exerciser (7)
  5. 11Wood or metal turning machine (5)
  6. 13What's-its-name (9)
  7. 15Mexican dish - rolled stuffed tortilla (9)
  8. 18Mowgli's bear friend (5)
  9. 21Street atlas component (4,3)
  10. 22Freckle - gent oil (anag) (7)
  11. 23Waterproof footwear - Philip Marlowe, eg (7)
  12. 24Gratify fully (7)

Down

  1. 1Drive back (5)
  2. 2Dark (5)
  3. 3Parisian monument (3,2,8)
  4. 4Miniature trees (6)
  5. 5Office furniture - MPs giving manicures? (6,7)
  6. 6Fluffy, woolly ball (6)
  7. 7Yippee! (6)
  8. 12Last word, often, of a prayer (4)
  9. 14Condiment (abbrev) - Irish county (4)
  10. 15Infuriate (6)
  11. 16Unpleasantly warm and sticky - like shellfish? (6)
  12. 17Discovery, Jazz and Gala (6)
  13. 19Soviet space dog (5)
  14. 20___ layer (region of Earth's stratosphere) (5)

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Crumble filling - repeated as background chat (7) — Answer: RHUBARB. Hint: Think of the tangy stalk often baked beneath a sweet crumble topping. 🍰
  2. 8. S American river - Womble (7) — Answer: ORINOCO. Hint: This is both a major South American river and a famous Wimbledon Womble. 🌊
  3. 9. The ___ Brief (1993 film) - brainy book imprint (7) — Answer: PELICAN. Hint: This word names a 1993 legal thriller and a scholarly book imprint. 🎬
  4. 10. Butterfly, captain or exerciser (7) — Answer: SKIPPER. Hint: One word can describe a butterfly, a ship’s captain, and someone jumping rope. 🦋
  5. 11. Wood or metal turning machine (5) — Answer: LATHE. Hint: A workshop machine spins material while a cutting tool shapes it. ⚙️
  6. 13. What's-its-name (9) — Answer: THINGUMMY. Hint: Use this playful placeholder when a name slips your mind. 🤔
  7. 15. Mexican dish - rolled stuffed tortilla (9) — Answer: ENCHILADA. Hint: Look for a Mexican tortilla rolled around filling and covered with sauce. 🌮
  8. 18. Mowgli's bear friend (5) — Answer: BALOO. Hint: This is Mowgli’s easygoing bear companion in The Jungle Book. 🐻
  9. 21. Street atlas component (4,3) — Answer: ROADMAP. Hint: Think of a guide showing streets, routes, and how they connect. 🗺️
  10. 22. Freckle - gent oil (anag) (7) — Answer: LENTIGO. Hint: A small flat brown spot on the skin may be described this way. 🟤
  11. 23. Waterproof footwear - Philip Marlowe, eg (7) — Answer: GUMSHOE. Hint: This word links waterproof rubber footwear with slang for a private detective. 👢
  12. 24. Gratify fully (7) — Answer: SATIATE. Hint: To do this is to satisfy a hunger or desire completely. 😋

Down

  1. 1. Drive back (5) — Answer: REPEL. Hint: To do this is to force something or someone to move away. 🛡️
  2. 2. Dark (5) — Answer: UNLIT. Hint: Describe a room or street with no light switched on. 🌑
  3. 3. Parisian monument (3,2,8) — Answer: ARCDETRIOMPHE. Hint: Think of Paris’s monumental arch honoring French military victories. 🏛️
  4. 4. Miniature trees (6) — Answer: BONSAI. Hint: These are tiny cultivated trees carefully shaped in pots. 🌳
  5. 5. Office furniture - MPs giving manicures? (6,7) — Answer: FILINGCABINET. Hint: Think of office storage furniture with several drawers for paperwork. 🗄️
  6. 6. Fluffy, woolly ball (6) — Answer: POMPOM. Hint: A fluffy decorative ball often appears on hats, slippers, or crafts. 🧶
  7. 7. Yippee! (6) — Answer: HOORAY. Hint: This cheerful shout celebrates good news or success. 🎉
  8. 12. Last word, often, of a prayer (4) — Answer: AMEN. Hint: This traditional prayer ending expresses agreement or affirmation. 🙏
  9. 14. Condiment (abbrev) - Irish county (4) — Answer: MAYO. Hint: Think of a creamy sandwich topping paired with a county in Ireland 🥪
  10. 15. Infuriate (6) — Answer: ENRAGE. Hint: To do this is to make someone extremely angry 😤
  11. 16. Unpleasantly warm and sticky - like shellfish? (6) — Answer: CLAMMY. Hint: Picture a shellfish enduring muggy, sticky weather 🐚
  12. 17. Discovery, Jazz and Gala (6) — Answer: APPLES. Hint: These are all varieties of a popular orchard fruit 🍎
  13. 19. Soviet space dog (5) — Answer: LAIKA. Hint: Recall the pioneering canine sent into orbit by the Soviet space program 🐶
  14. 20. ___ layer (region of Earth's stratosphere) (5) — Answer: OZONE. Hint: This protective atmospheric layer absorbs much of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation 🌍

Recent Guardian Quick Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

Guardian Quick 20 August 2026Guardian Quick 19 August 2026Guardian Quick 18 August 2026Guardian Quick 17 August 2026Guardian Quick 15 August 2026Guardian Quick 14 August 2026Guardian Quick 13 August 2026

The answer to “Mowgli's bear friend (5)” in the The Guardian Quick crossword is BALOO — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 21, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 18-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Mowgli's bear friend (5)” answer

BALOO (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is BALOO.

When else has “Mowgli's bear friend (5)” appeared?

The Guardian Quick reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 21, 2026 (most recent) → BALOO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the Guardian Quick Crossword on August 21, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full The Guardian Quick answer list for August 21, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live Guardian Quick answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the Guardian Quick Crossword

The Guardian Quick Crossword is a British straight-definition daily (typically around 13×13) — no cryptic wordplay, just clean definitions and abbreviations. This page covers a Friday puzzle. Because answers favour common UK vocabulary and short fill, seeing a confirmation once makes the next appearance easy to spot.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Mowgli's bear friend (5)”?

The answer is BALOO, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Mowgli's bear friend (5)”?

5 letters: BALOO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 21, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 18-Across.

Can “Mowgli's bear friend (5)” have a different answer?

Yes — The Guardian Quick sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Guardian Quick answers?

The full grid for August 21, 2026 is on the Guardian Quick answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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