Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and wordplay and trivia build toward a top-to-bottom circled-letter reveal.
Settle in for a lively grid with a satisfying finish.
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: 11x11
Total Clues: 31 (16 Across, 15 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 5D is the trickiest clue because it expects recognition of a specific energy-drink brand rather than a broad definition.
Gimme Clue: 20A is the clearest gimme, since the clue points directly from Honolulu to its island.
Theme Spotted: "To Be Continued..."
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Guest contributor's column
Hint: Think of the opinion-page piece written by a guest voice. Four letters, starts with O.
5A. Shortcut for "copy," on a PC keyboard
Hint: Use the standard two-key Windows command for copying selected material. Five letters, starts with C.
9A. What hearts may represent in video games
Hint: Think of what gets depleted when a game character fails. Five letters, starts with L.
11A. Historical period
Hint: Name a bounded stretch of history. Three letters, starts with E.
12A. Otherworldly creature
Hint: Picture a being that comes from beyond Earth. Five letters, starts with A.
13A. Haul
Hint: Use the verb for carrying something heavy or awkward. Three letters, starts with L.
14A. Chew the ___ (chitchat)
Hint: Complete the idiom for settling in to chat at length. Three letters, starts with F.
15A. 2000s ABC drama with a classic 8-Down ("We have to go back!")
Hint: Identify the ABC mystery drama about plane-crash survivors, tied here to “We have to go back!” Four letters, starts with L.
17A. Ma, pa, sibs, etc.
Hint: Use casual shorthand for one's close relatives. Three letters, starts with F.
19A. Org. behind the "Speaking of Science" podcast
Hint: Look to the U.S. biomedical research agency that produces the podcast. Three letters, starts with N.
20A. Honolulu's island
Hint: Locate Honolulu on its Hawaiian island. Four letters, starts with O.
22A. Prime-time soap opera with a classic 8-Down ("Who shot J.R.?")
Hint: Recall the prime-time soap centered on the Ewings and the “Who shot J.R.?” mystery. Six letters, starts with D.
24A. Fully committed
Hint: Think of the poker-table phrase for complete commitment. Five letters, starts with A.
25A. Forbid from leaving the house, as a teen
Hint: Use the parental verb for confining a teen to the house. Six letters, starts with G.
26A. Actress Witherspoon
Hint: Think of the Oscar-winning actor known for Legally Blonde and Walk the Line. Five letters, starts with R.
27A. Jeopardizes
Hint: Choose a verb meaning puts in jeopardy. Five letters, starts with R.
Down Hints
1D. "Frozen" snowman
Hint: Recall Disney's cheerful snowman from Frozen. Four letters, starts with O.
2D. Fluffy rice dish
Hint: Name the seasoned rice preparation cooked in broth so the grains stay distinct. Five letters, starts with P.
3D. Musical about a former first lady of Argentina
Hint: Think of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's stage musical about Eva Perón. Five letters, starts with E.
4D. Barely passing grade
Hint: Picture the lowest letter grade that still squeaks by. Three letters, starts with D.
5D. "Live Fit" energy drink brand
Hint: This brand shares its name with the metric temperature scale. Seven letters, starts with C.
6D. "Fiction is the ___ inside the lie": Stephen King
Hint: King contrasts an invented story's surface with the honest core hidden within it. Five letters, starts with T.
7D. Cleaning cloth
Hint: Think of a scrap of cloth kept for wiping dirty surfaces. Three letters, starts with R.
8D. The suspenseful, can't-wait-to-see-what-comes-next ending to this puzzle (read the circled letters from top to bottom!)
Hint: Read the circled cells from the grid's top to its bottom, then name the suspenseful ending that demands a next installment. 11 letters, starts with C.
10D. Show that once featured Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, for short
Hint: Think of NBC's weekend sketch-comedy institution in abbreviated form. Three letters, starts with S.
16D. Available
Hint: Use a stockroom phrase meaning immediately available. Six letters, starts with O.
18D. Snail, squid or scallop
Hint: Find the broad animal group shared by snails, squids, and scallops. Seven letters, starts with M.
21D. Dresses with fitted tops and flared bottoms
Hint: Picture the dress silhouette that stays fitted above before widening toward the hem. Six letters, starts with A.
22D. "Too risky for me?"
Hint: Hear this as a wary rhetorical question about attempting something dangerous. Five letters, starts with D.
23D. Soothing succulents
Hint: Name the succulent plants whose gel is associated with soothing irritated skin. Five letters, starts with A.
25D. [This is SO frustrating!]
Hint: Enter the written growl that conveys clenched-teeth frustration. Three letters, starts with G.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Guest contributor's column
Answer: OPED
5A. Shortcut for "copy," on a PC keyboard
Answer: CTRLC
9A. What hearts may represent in video games
Answer: LIVES
11A. Historical period
Answer: ERA
12A. Otherworldly creature
Answer: ALIEN
13A. Haul
Answer: LUG
14A. Chew the ___ (chitchat)
Answer: FAT
15A. 2000s ABC drama with a classic 8-Down ("We have to go back!")
Answer: LOST
17A. Ma, pa, sibs, etc.
Answer: FAM
19A. Org. behind the "Speaking of Science" podcast
Answer: NIH
20A. Honolulu's island
Answer: OAHU
22A. Prime-time soap opera with a classic 8-Down ("Who shot J.R.?")
Answer: DALLAS
24A. Fully committed
Answer: ALLIN
25A. Forbid from leaving the house, as a teen
Answer: GROUND
26A. Actress Witherspoon
Answer: REESE
27A. Jeopardizes
Answer: RISKS
Down Answers
1D. "Frozen" snowman
Answer: OLAF
2D. Fluffy rice dish
Answer: PILAF
3D. Musical about a former first lady of Argentina
Answer: EVITA
4D. Barely passing grade
Answer: DEE
5D. "Live Fit" energy drink brand
Answer: CELSIUS
6D. "Fiction is the ___ inside the lie": Stephen King
Answer: TRUTH
7D. Cleaning cloth
Answer: RAG
8D. The suspenseful, can't-wait-to-see-what-comes-next ending to this puzzle (read the circled letters from top to bottom!)
Answer: CLIFFHANGER
10D. Show that once featured Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, for short
Answer: SNL
16D. Available
Answer: ONHAND
18D. Snail, squid or scallop
Answer: MOLLUSK
21D. Dresses with fitted tops and flared bottoms
Answer: ALINES
22D. "Too risky for me?"
Answer: DAREI
23D. Soothing succulents
Answer: ALOES
25D. [This is SO frustrating!]
Answer: GRR
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 8D, CLIFFHANGER, defines the puzzle because the circled letters read from top to bottom spell the exact kind of suspenseful ending described by the clue. The extraction and definition land together cleanly.
Wordplay Winner: 22D, DARE I, wins the wordplay prize. “Too risky for me?” turns a familiar rhetorical phrase into a compact self-question about taking a chance.
Quick Fill: 5A, CTRL C, is the fastest confident fill because the keyboard clue is exact. It supplies footholds for CELSIUS, TRUTH, RAG, and CLIFFHANGER at its crossings.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Lock in direct entries such as CTRL C, OAHU, and REESE first. Their crossings clarify CELSIUS, ON HAND, MOLLUSK, A-LINES, DARE I, and ALOES across the longer vertical entries.
When a clue explicitly directs an extraction, stabilize the surrounding grid before interpreting the result. Here, reading the circled letters downward produces CLIFFHANGER without requiring a synonym hunt.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid balanced clean gimmes with one excellent delayed payoff, and CLIFFHANGER gave the finish real snap.
See you at the next grid.
