Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and a mix of geography, everyday vocabulary, and conversational clues gives the grid a friendly rhythm. Come on in and use the hints wherever you need a nudge.
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: 10x9
Total Clues: 29 (14 Across, 15 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 19A is the trickiest clue because its photo scenario asks you to turn a digital alteration into a conversational verb phrase.
Gimme Clue: 5D is the clearest foothold, asking for the familiar closing word of a prayer.
Theme Spotted: "Draw a Line in the Sand"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. "Paul Blart: ___ Cop"
Hint: Think of the shopping complex patrolled by the movie's security guard. Four letters, starts with M.
5A. Desert occupying most of its namesake peninsula in southwest Asia
Hint: Think of the desert across the peninsula containing Saudi Arabia. Seven letters, starts with A.
8A. Shuffling
Hint: Think of rearranging a deck of cards rather than dragging your feet. Eight letters, starts with M.
10A. Best of the best
Hint: Think of a select group at the very top. Five letters, starts with E.
11A. Meat in a Denver omelet
Hint: Think of the cured pork diced into this breakfast dish. Three letters, starts with H.
13A. Original Super Mario Bros. console
Hint: Use the abbreviated name of the 1980s Nintendo console that brought this game to North American homes. Three letters, starts with N.
14A. Rage
Hint: Think of an outburst of intense anger. Five letters, starts with F.
16A. Desert covering much of Botswana
Hint: Think of the sandy southern African desert associated with Botswana. Eight letters, starts with K.
19A. Add, as someone who wasn't originally part of a photo
Hint: Think of digitally inserting an absent person into an existing photograph. Six letters, starts with E.
21A. Cul-de-___
Hint: Complete the French-derived expression for a dead-end street. Three letters, starts with S.
22A. Seducing
Hint: Think of enticing someone with an appealing temptation. Six letters, starts with L.
23A. "Great job, toreador!"
Hint: Think of the Spanish cheer heard at a bullfight. Three letters, starts with O.
24A. Non-shiny lipstick options
Hint: Think of cosmetic finishes that lack gloss. Six letters, starts with M.
25A. "Acid"
Hint: Read the quoted word as slang for a psychedelic drug. Three letters, starts with L.
Down Hints
1D. Ankle-covering garment
Hint: Think of a flowing lower-body garment with a hem reaching the ankles. Nine letters, starts with M.
2D. Kind of
Hint: Read this as slightly or somewhat, rather than a type of something. Four letters, starts with A.
3D. Queue
Hint: Think of the arrangement of customers awaiting their turn. Four letters, starts with L.
4D. Slow Wi-Fi annoyance
Hint: Think of the delay between your action and the screen's response. Three letters, starts with L.
5D. Prayer-ending word
Hint: Think of the traditional spoken affirmation that closes a prayer. Four letters, starts with A.
6D. Agitate, with "up"
Hint: Choose a verb that pairs with "up" to mean provoke or annoy. Four letters, starts with R.
7D. Childish "That's not true!"
Hint: Hear a child's emphatic spoken denial, rather than a formal objection. Five letters, starts with N.
9D. Shade-providing umbrella
Hint: Think of an umbrella carried for protection from sunshine rather than rain. Seven letters, starts with P.
12D. Lessons learned from fables
Hint: Think of the ethical takeaways conveyed by cautionary animal stories. Six letters, starts with M.
14D. Plastic parts of a vampire costume
Hint: Think of the pointed imitation teeth worn for a bloodsucker disguise. Five letters, starts with F.
15D. Chopped finely, as cauliflower
Hint: Think of cauliflower processed into grainlike pieces. Five letters, starts with R.
17D. Working hard
Hint: Think of a short expression meaning actively engaged in the task. Four letters, starts with A.
18D. Word shouted by a forgetful actor
Hint: Think of the actor's request for a prompt after forgetting the script. Four letters, starts with L.
19D. Shade-providing tree
Hint: Think of a broad-canopied deciduous shade tree. Three letters, starts with E.
20D. "Dance the Night" singer ___ Lipa
Hint: Think of the singer behind "Don't Start Now" and "Dance the Night." 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. "Paul Blart: ___ Cop"
Answer: MALL
5A. Desert occupying most of its namesake peninsula in southwest Asia
Answer: ARABIAN
8A. Shuffling
Answer: MIXINGUP
10A. Best of the best
Answer: ELITE
11A. Meat in a Denver omelet
Answer: HAM
13A. Original Super Mario Bros. console
Answer: NES
14A. Rage
Answer: FUROR
16A. Desert covering much of Botswana
Answer: KALAHARI
19A. Add, as someone who wasn't originally part of a photo
Answer: EDITIN
21A. Cul-de-___
Answer: SAC
22A. Seducing
Answer: LURING
23A. "Great job, toreador!"
Answer: OLE
24A. Non-shiny lipstick options
Answer: MATTES
25A. "Acid"
Answer: LSD
Down Answers
1D. Ankle-covering garment
Answer: MAXISKIRT
2D. Kind of
Answer: ABIT
3D. Queue
Answer: LINE
4D. Slow Wi-Fi annoyance
Answer: LAG
5D. Prayer-ending word
Answer: AMEN
6D. Agitate, with "up"
Answer: RILE
7D. Childish "That's not true!"
Answer: NUHUH
9D. Shade-providing umbrella
Answer: PARASOL
12D. Lessons learned from fables
Answer: MORALS
14D. Plastic parts of a vampire costume
Answer: FANGS
15D. Chopped finely, as cauliflower
Answer: RICED
17D. Working hard
Answer: ATIT
18D. Word shouted by a forgetful actor
Answer: LINE
19D. Shade-providing tree
Answer: ELM
20D. "Dance the Night" singer ___ Lipa
Answer: DUA
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 18D, "Word shouted by a forgetful actor," gives LINE a theatrical job as a request for the next words in the script. Its echo of LINE at 3D, clued as "Queue," makes an ordinary word the grid's sharpest reminder to read each clue afresh.
Wordplay Winner: 8A, "Shuffling," earns the wordplay nod with MIXING UP. The clue steers toward changing the order of things, as with cards, rather than the slow-footed walk the same word can describe.
Quick Fill: 5D's "Prayer-ending word" makes AMEN a confident early fill. It supplies crossing letters for ARABIAN at 5A, MIXING UP at 8A, ELITE at 10A, and NES at 13A, giving the upper-left area a useful foothold.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Try spoken phrases when a single-word synonym stalls. MIXING UP, EDIT IN, A BIT, and AT IT all reward treating the clue as everyday speech and letting the grid omit the spaces.
Let the wording reset your interpretation even when a fill repeats. LINE answers both "Queue" and the forgetful actor's request, so recognizing a previous answer should prompt a fresh meaning check.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The desert clues give this grid its trivia weight, while the conversational fills keep it approachable. LINE is the neat finishing touch, familiar vocabulary doing different jobs.
See you at the next grid.
