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This paper investigates a nonlinear time-fractional mixed sub-diffusion and diffusion-wave equation with delay. The problem is particularly challenging due to its nonlinear nature, the presence of a time delay, and the incorporation of both fractional diffusion and fractional wave terms, introducing computational complexities for numerical analysis. To address this, we transform the model into a new generalized form involving Riemann–Liouville fractional integrals and a Caputo derivative of order α ∈ (0 , 1). Subsequently, a temporal second-order linearized difference scheme is presented to approximate the model, and its unconditional stability is rigorously proven based on discrete Gronwall's inequality. To reduce computational and storage costs, we extend the discussion to a fast variant of the proposed difference scheme. The sum of exponentials approach is employed to approximate the kernel function in fractional-order operators, leading to fast difference analogs for the Riemann–Liouville fractional integral and the Caputo derivative. A fast variant of the developed direct method is introduced based on these analogs. Numerical results are provided to validate our theoretical findings and assess the accuracy and efficiency of the difference schemes. • Investigation of the nonlinear time-fractional delayed MSDDWE. • A second-order temporal L2-type difference scheme. • Demonstration of the unconditional stability of the numerical scheme. • A fast second-order scheme for the nonlinear time-fractional delayed MSDDWE. • Numerical examples to validate the theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]