Because of accelerated demands of advanced technologies like power station, chemical production and microelectronics, it necessitates the need of novel type of fluids with more heat transfer capability. Due to synergistic effect, ternary composite nanofluids (TCNFs) ensure better thermophysical and Rheology properties thereby acting as better suitable heat transfer fluid in wire coating, metal spinning, aerodynamics, medicine and engineering industries, etc. In view of such relevance, flow and heat transfer aspects of TCNF MWCNT + Al2O3 + TiO2 + water induced by linear and nonlinear slips over arbitrarily inclined moving thin needle are investigated in this study. Thompson and Troian nonlinear slip model is modified by developing it in polar coordinates. Quadratic thermal radiation phenomenon is adopted. Fourth-order Runge–Kutta method is used to obtain requisite numerical solution. Major outcomes indicate that fluid velocity of TCNF whittles down with amplification of magnetic parameter due to the flow induced by either linear or nonlinear slips. Lower value of Reynolds number favoring linear slip leads to effective intensification of nondimensional temperature distributions. Surface viscous drag and heat transfer rate get ameliorated with growth in size of thin needle under the influence of both linear and nonlinear slips.