Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and rock music, screen culture and playful misdirection give this grid its spark. Come on in and find your foothold.
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: 31 (14 Across, 17 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 23D hides an email action behind a broad promise of keeping someone informed.
Gimme Clue: 3D offers a direct antonym with no extra trick to untangle.
Theme Spotted: "Suggestion Boxes"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Blundering fools
Hint: Think of clumsy louts who stumble through basic tasks. Four letters, starts with O.
5A. Something to write notes on
Hint: Picture a bound stack of paper beside a telephone. Three letters, starts with P.
8A. Midwest city just north of the Platte River
Hint: Look to Nebraska and its largest city. Five letters, starts with O.
10A. "The Catcher in the ___"
Hint: Recall the grain that completes J. D. Salinger's novel title. Three letters, starts with R.
11A. Boss in a big red truck
Hint: Think of the official commanding an emergency crew responding to a blaze. Nine letters, starts with F.
13A. Beaver's construction
Hint: Think of a structure built across flowing water. Three letters, starts with D.
14A. Image on many a men's health magazine cover
Hint: Picture a shirtless torso posed to highlight muscle. Nine letters, starts with B.
20A. Comply with, as a command
Hint: Think of following an instruction exactly as issued. Four letters, starts with O.
21A. Unnecessary fashion item on casual Friday
Hint: Look for the accessory worn beneath a shirt collar. Three letters, starts with T.
22A. Items of interest to a numismatist
Hint: Think of collectible currency valued for scarcity. Nine letters, starts with R.
25A. One ___ time
Hint: Complete the phrase about handling things individually. Three letters, starts with A.
26A. Streaker in space
Hint: Look for an icy celestial visitor that can trail a glowing tail. Five letters, starts with C.
27A. X
Hint: Read the symbol as a Roman numeral. Three letters, starts with T.
28A. Gushes, as lava
Hint: Think of a volcano forcefully ejecting hot material. Five letters, starts with S.
Down Hints
1D. "Tough one"
Hint: An exclamation for a painful challenge fits here. Three letters, starts with O.
2D. French for "friend"
Hint: Use the French noun for a close companion. Three letters, starts with A.
3D. Opposite of near
Hint: Think of a location well beyond easy reach. Three letters, starts with F.
4D. "___ lives in daydreams with me" (lyric from a 2019 Harry Styles song)
Hint: The blank calls for a pronoun referring to a woman. Three letters, starts with S.
5D. 8:00-11:00 p.m., in East Coast TV programming
Hint: Think of the evening broadcast block reserved for flagship shows. Nine letters, starts with P.
6D. Agreement at sea
Hint: Use a sailor's affirmative response. Three letters, starts with A.
7D. Rock's ___ Leppard
Hint: Recall the British rock group behind Pour Some Sugar on Me. Three letters, starts with D.
9D. "Hells Bells" rockers
Hint: Think of the Australian hard-rock band associated with Angus Young. Four letters, starts with A.
12D. "Too funny"
Hint: A clipped laugh can carry a sarcastic edge. Three letters, starts with H.
14D. Mockumentary character with the catchphrase "Great success!"
Hint: Recall Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional journalist from Kazakhstan. Five letters, starts with B.
15D. Lessen
Hint: Think of a storm gradually losing force. Five letters, starts with A.
16D. Showed on TV again
Hint: Think of what a channel did with an episode it had already broadcast. Five letters, starts with R.
17D. Survivor's "___ of the Tiger"
Hint: Recall the boxing-film anthem by the band named in the clue. Three letters, starts with E.
18D. Tissue connecting muscle and bone
Hint: Look for a tough, fibrous anatomical connector. Five letters, starts with S.
19D. School assessments
Hint: Think of classroom exams. Five letters, starts with T.
23D. Keeps in the know, electronically
Hint: Think of adding someone as a visible secondary recipient of an email. Three letters, starts with C.
24D. Alley-___
Hint: Complete the basketball term for a lob finished at the rim. Three letters, starts with O.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Blundering fools
Answer: OAFS
5A. Something to write notes on
Answer: PAD
8A. Midwest city just north of the Platte River
Answer: OMAHA
10A. "The Catcher in the ___"
Answer: RYE
11A. Boss in a big red truck
Answer: FIRECHIEF
13A. Beaver's construction
Answer: DAM
14A. Image on many a men's health magazine cover
Answer: BARECHEST
20A. Comply with, as a command
Answer: OBEY
21A. Unnecessary fashion item on casual Friday
Answer: TIE
22A. Items of interest to a numismatist
Answer: RARECOINS
25A. One ___ time
Answer: ATA
26A. Streaker in space
Answer: COMET
27A. X
Answer: TEN
28A. Gushes, as lava
Answer: SPEWS
Down Answers
1D. "Tough one"
Answer: OOF
2D. French for "friend"
Answer: AMI
3D. Opposite of near
Answer: FAR
4D. "___ lives in daydreams with me" (lyric from a 2019 Harry Styles song)
Answer: SHE
5D. 8:00-11:00 p.m., in East Coast TV programming
Answer: PRIMETIME
6D. Agreement at sea
Answer: AYE
7D. Rock's ___ Leppard
Answer: DEF
9D. "Hells Bells" rockers
Answer: ACDC
12D. "Too funny"
Answer: HAH
14D. Mockumentary character with the catchphrase "Great success!"
Answer: BORAT
15D. Lessen
Answer: ABATE
16D. Showed on TV again
Answer: RERAN
17D. Survivor's "___ of the Tiger"
Answer: EYE
18D. Tissue connecting muscle and bone
Answer: SINEW
19D. School assessments
Answer: TESTS
23D. Keeps in the know, electronically
Answer: CCS
24D. Alley-___
Answer: OOP
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 11A, "Boss in a big red truck", earns FIRECHIEF with a compact visual scene. The vehicle identifies the profession, while "Boss" supplies the rank.
Wordplay Winner: 26A, "Streaker in space", makes COMET the wordplay winner. "Streaker" shifts from a person running unclothed to an object tracing a bright path across the sky.
Quick Fill: 10A, RYE, is my quickest confident fill thanks to the fixed Salinger title. Its crossings feed PRIMETIME, AYE and DEF, giving the upper-right corner a firm start.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Bank fixed phrases and titles before wrestling with open-ended descriptions. RYE and OOP offer cleaner commitments than the magazine-cover image leading to BARECHEST.
When a clue sounds conversational, try an utterance rather than a literal synonym. OOF and HAH reward that switch, while CCS calls for an email action.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
FIRECHIEF gives the grid a vivid highlight, and COMET supplies its neatest change of meaning. The satisfying move today was knowing when to recall a fact and when to rethink a word.
See you at the next grid.