Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and a sound-alike twist runs through a lively mix of trivia and everyday phrasing. Start with the direct clues and let the crossings guide you.
How The Midi Works
The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, offering a mid-size grid that takes a few satisfying minutes to clear. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime.
New puzzles drop daily. The Midi offers more complexity than the Mini while remaining accessible for solvers who want a quick but substantial challenge.
Quick Scan
In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:
Grid Size: 9x9
Total Clues: 30 (17 Across, 13 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 10D asks you to hear a mythic name as a second hint. Its payoff comes when the long vertical entries are in place.
Gimme Clue: 7A offers a clear image of Hawaiian neckwear, making it a natural place to start.
Theme Spotted: "Understated"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. School stat
Hint: 1A asks for the academic figure that summarizes classroom performance. Three letters, starts with G.
4A. Gently apply
Hint: 4A calls for a light touch with a cloth or fingertip. Three letters, starts with D.
7A. Hawaiian neckwear
Hint: 7A points to a floral garland worn around the neck in Hawaii. Three letters, starts with L.
8A. Gardener's watering aid
Hint: 8A is the flexible line that carries water from a tap to garden beds. Four letters, starts with H.
9A. Screw up
Hint: 9A wants a verb meaning to make a mistake. Three letters, starts with E.
10A. Like a tooth that's barely attached
Hint: 10A describes a wobbly tooth just before it falls out. Five letters, starts with L.
11A. To the ___ degree
Hint: 11A completes a familiar phrase meaning to an extreme extent. Three letters, starts with N.
12A. "Baseball is 90% mental. The ___ half is physical" (quote attributed to Yogi Berra)
Hint: 12A draws on Berra's joke about the physical share of baseball after he has assigned nearly all of it to the mind. Five letters, starts with O.
13A. Whiskey barrel material
Hint: 13A asks for the hardwood traditionally used to make whiskey barrels. Three letters, starts with O.
15A. Org. with auditors
Hint: 15A points to the federal agency that reviews tax returns. Three letters, starts with I.
16A. To the point
Hint: 16A describes speech that uses no extra words. Eight letters, starts with S.
19A. Signs, as an important document
Hint: 19A means putting a signature on a formal document. Four letters, starts with I.
20A. "Only playing with you!"
Hint: 20A is what you say after a tease to signal that it was a joke. Four letters, starts with I.
22A. Dessert slice that a Trivial Pursuit game token resembles
Hint: 22A points to the wedge-shaped dessert serving echoed by a Trivial Pursuit token. Three letters, starts with P.
23A. Big name in jeans
Hint: 23A asks for a familiar denim brand. Four letters, starts with L.
24A. Muddy enclosure
Hint: 24A is a pig's muddy enclosure. Three letters, starts with S.
25A. Observed
Hint: 25A means looked closely at someone or something. Four letters, starts with E.
Down Hints
1D. Powell of 2025's "The Running Man"
Hint: 1D points to the actor Powell from the cited action film. Four letters, starts with G.
2D. Cheeky
Hint: 2D describes a lively, impudent manner. Four letters, starts with P.
3D. Tabletop game with a plastic puck
Hint: 3D is the arcade table game in which a plastic puck glides across a cushion of moving air. Nine letters, starts with A.
4D. Thingamajig
Hint: 4D calls for a playful placeholder name for a gadget you cannot identify. Nine letters, starts with D.
5D. Not shy about speaking one's mind
Hint: 5D describes someone who speaks up with confidence and directness. Nine letters, starts with A.
6D. Sudsy six-pack
Hint: 6D points to the brewed drinks sold together in the clue's six-pack. Five letters, starts with B.
8D. Like a ghost pepper
Hint: 8D describes the fierce heat of a ghost pepper. Three letters, starts with H.
10D. Mischievous Norse god ... or a homophonic hint to the ends of 3- and 4-Down
Hint: 10D names the Norse trickster. Say that name aloud to hear the clue's second meaning. Four letters, starts with L.
14D. Cooling appliances: Abbr.
Hint: 14D abbreviates the appliances that cool a room. Three letters, starts with A.
16D. Nurses, as some 6-Down
Hint: 16D describes taking small tastes of a drink, including one from 6D. Four letters, starts with S.
17D. Absolute ___ (slang term for an exceptionally muscular person)
Hint: 17D completes a slang phrase for an exceptionally muscular person. Four letters, starts with U.
18D. River in Egypt
Hint: 18D points to the major river that flows through Egypt. Four letters, starts with N.
21D. "Why ___ the chicken cross the road?"
Hint: 21D supplies the past-tense helper verb in the familiar chicken joke. Three letters, starts with D.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. School stat
Answer: GPA
4A. Gently apply
Answer: DAB
7A. Hawaiian neckwear
Answer: LEI
8A. Gardener's watering aid
Answer: HOSE
9A. Screw up
Answer: ERR
10A. Like a tooth that's barely attached
Answer: LOOSE
11A. To the ___ degree
Answer: NTH
12A. "Baseball is 90% mental. The ___ half is physical" (quote attributed to Yogi Berra)
Answer: OTHER
13A. Whiskey barrel material
Answer: OAK
15A. Org. with auditors
Answer: IRS
16A. To the point
Answer: SUCCINCT
19A. Signs, as an important document
Answer: INKS
20A. "Only playing with you!"
Answer: IKID
22A. Dessert slice that a Trivial Pursuit game token resembles
Answer: PIE
23A. Big name in jeans
Answer: LEVI
24A. Muddy enclosure
Answer: STY
25A. Observed
Answer: EYED
Down Answers
1D. Powell of 2025's "The Running Man"
Answer: GLEN
2D. Cheeky
Answer: PERT
3D. Tabletop game with a plastic puck
Answer: AIRHOCKEY
4D. Thingamajig
Answer: DOOHICKEY
5D. Not shy about speaking one's mind
Answer: ASSERTIVE
6D. Sudsy six-pack
Answer: BEERS
8D. Like a ghost pepper
Answer: HOT
10D. Mischievous Norse god ... or a homophonic hint to the ends of 3- and 4-Down
Answer: LOKI
14D. Cooling appliances: Abbr.
Answer: ACS
16D. Nurses, as some 6-Down
Answer: SIPS
17D. Absolute ___ (slang term for an exceptionally muscular person)
Answer: UNIT
18D. River in Egypt
Answer: NILE
21D. "Why ___ the chicken cross the road?"
Answer: DID
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 10D LOKI defines the puzzle: spoken aloud, it sounds like 'low key,' pointing to KEY at the bottom of both 3D AIRHOCKEY and 4D DOOHICKEY.
Wordplay Winner: 12A OTHER gets a laugh from the math mismatch attributed to Berra: the quote calls the remaining share a 'half' after assigning nearly all of baseball to the mind.
Quick Fill: 7A LEI is the quickest confident fill. Its crossings give you a foothold in 1D GLEN, 2D PERT, and the long 3D AIRHOCKEY.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Fill direct entries such as 7A LEI and 4A DAB early, then use their crossings to start the long Downs.
When a clue offers a sound-alike, read it aloud and check where it points in the grid. Here, 10D LOKI directs you to the shared KEY ending of 3D AIRHOCKEY and 4D DOOHICKEY.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct clues give you plenty of ways in, while LOKI rewards a second look at the long Downs.
See you at the next grid.
