Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and seasonal trivia shares the grid with familiar phrases and sly vocabulary clues. Settle in, and let the straightforward clues give you a 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: 30 (12 Across, 18 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 20D is the trickiest clue because it asks for an obscure slang term through a deceptively everyday definition.
Gimme Clue: 1A is the gimme, with a fixed expression that practically completes itself.
Theme Spotted: "Jump Scare"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. By ___ and bounds
Hint: Think of the familiar expression for rapid progress, using an image of jumping. Five letters, starts with L.
6A. Prepare to nap
Hint: Change your position so you're stretched out rather than sitting upright. Seven letters, starts with L.
8A. Time for spooky sights and sounds
Hint: Think costumes, carved pumpkins and trick-or-treating. Nine letters, starts with H.
10A. Egg cells
Hint: Use the scientific plural for female reproductive cells. Three letters, starts with O.
11A. This or that or whichever
Hint: The choice is unrestricted, with no particular option required. Three letters, starts with A.
12A. Tropical evergreen that's the source of chocolate
Hint: Look for the plant that produces the pods holding chocolate's raw ingredient. Nine letters, starts with C.
16A. Chinese steamed bun
Hint: Think of a fluffy Chinese bun, often enclosing a savory filling. Three letters, starts with B.
17A. Useful trait for climbing a mountain or wrangling an energetic toddler
Hint: Both situations call for stamina, the capacity to keep going through sustained effort. Nine letters, starts with E.
23A. Spell of activity
Hint: Read spell as a stretch of time rather than something magical. Four letters, starts with B.
24A. Fitting rhyme for "gloom"
Hint: The rhyme should suggest impending disaster, matching the clue's bleak mood. Four letters, starts with D.
25A. Dude
Hint: Think of a casual way to address a male pal. Three letters, starts with B.
26A. Class that teaches about DNA, in brief
Hint: Use the shortened course label for the study of living things. Three letters, starts with B.
Down Hints
1D. Pale purple
Hint: This delicate shade shares its name with a fragrant flowering shrub. Five letters, starts with L.
2D. Sushi fish served with a sweet-salty sauce
Hint: Think of the long, slippery fish often served cooked in sushi. Three letters, starts with E.
3D. Hubbub
Hint: Think fuss or commotion, especially in the expression meaning without further fuss. Three letters, starts with A.
4D. Comic book onomatopoeia
Hint: Picture a punch landing in a comic panel, with its sound printed beside it. Three letters, starts with P.
5D. Say with a hand on the Bible
Hint: Think of making a solemn promise while taking an oath. Five letters, starts with S.
6D. What the blobs of some groovy lamps resemble
Hint: The drifting blobs resemble molten material flowing from a volcano. Four letters, starts with L.
7D. State bird of Hawaii
Hint: Think of the goose native to the Hawaiian islands. Four letters, starts with N.
8D. Ad ___ (formed for a particular purpose)
Hint: Complete the Latin phrase used for a committee assembled to handle a specific task. Three letters, starts with H.
9D. Holiday celebrated two months after 8-Across, for short
Hint: Use 8A as your calendar anchor, then think of the countdown celebration that closes the year. The clue wants its abbreviated label. Three letters, starts with N.
13D. Be next to
Hint: Think of properties that touch along a shared boundary. Four letters, starts with A.
14D. Rowboat tool
Hint: Picture the long implement pulled through the water to propel the craft. Three letters, starts with O.
15D. "Frog and ___" (children's book series)
Hint: Recall the amphibian companion in Arnold Lobel's gentle friendship stories. Four letters, starts with T.
17D. Flow back
Hint: Think of what the tide does as it retreats from the shore. Three letters, starts with E.
18D. "Neither snow ___ rain ___ heat ___ gloom of night ..." (motto associated with the U.S. Postal Service)
Hint: Each blank needs the same conjunction, carrying the opening negative through the list. Three letters, starts with N.
19D. "Dynamic" grouping of people
Hint: Think of the familiar nickname for Batman and Robin working together. Three letters, starts with D.
20D. Head, in slang
Hint: Look for British slang for the part of the body beneath a hat. Three letters, starts with N.
21D. ___ Leray, rapper with the 2023 hit "Players"
Hint: Recall the full performer name attached to the hit "Players", using Leray as your cue. Three letters, starts with C.
22D. Rock genre with confessional lyrics
Hint: Think of the rock style associated with intensely personal lyrics and expressive vocals. Three letters, starts with E.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. By ___ and bounds
Answer: LEAPS
6A. Prepare to nap
Answer: LIEDOWN
8A. Time for spooky sights and sounds
Answer: HALLOWEEN
10A. Egg cells
Answer: OVA
11A. This or that or whichever
Answer: ANY
12A. Tropical evergreen that's the source of chocolate
Answer: CACAOTREE
16A. Chinese steamed bun
Answer: BAO
17A. Useful trait for climbing a mountain or wrangling an energetic toddler
Answer: ENDURANCE
23A. Spell of activity
Answer: BOUT
24A. Fitting rhyme for "gloom"
Answer: DOOM
25A. Dude
Answer: BRO
26A. Class that teaches about DNA, in brief
Answer: BIO
Down Answers
1D. Pale purple
Answer: LILAC
2D. Sushi fish served with a sweet-salty sauce
Answer: EEL
3D. Hubbub
Answer: ADO
4D. Comic book onomatopoeia
Answer: POW
5D. Say with a hand on the Bible
Answer: SWEAR
6D. What the blobs of some groovy lamps resemble
Answer: LAVA
7D. State bird of Hawaii
Answer: NENE
8D. Ad ___ (formed for a particular purpose)
Answer: HOC
9D. Holiday celebrated two months after 8-Across, for short
Answer: NYE
13D. Be next to
Answer: ABUT
14D. Rowboat tool
Answer: OAR
15D. "Frog and ___" (children's book series)
Answer: TOAD
17D. Flow back
Answer: EBB
18D. "Neither snow ___ rain ___ heat ___ gloom of night ..." (motto associated with the U.S. Postal Service)
Answer: NOR
19D. "Dynamic" grouping of people
Answer: DUO
20D. Head, in slang
Answer: NOB
21D. ___ Leray, rapper with the 2023 hit "Players"
Answer: COI
22D. Rock genre with confessional lyrics
Answer: EMO
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 17A, "Useful trait for climbing a mountain or wrangling an energetic toddler", earns ENDURANCE by putting an expedition and everyday caregiving on equal footing. That concrete comparison gives a straightforward definition its personality.
Wordplay Winner: 23A, "Spell of activity", wins with BOUT. Spell means a period of time here, while its magical sense offers a tempting seasonal distraction.
Quick Fill: 1A, LEAPS, is the fastest confident fill because "By ___ and bounds" supplies such a familiar phrase. It anchors the top through crossings with LILAC, EEL, ADO, POW and SWEAR.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Fill fixed expressions before wrestling with loose definitions. LEAPS at 1A gives firmer footing than choosing a comic-book sound for 4D without crossing letters.
Let crossings settle unfamiliar slang and names. ENDURANCE, DOOM and BIO supply every letter of both NOB at 20D and COI at 21D.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The familiar phrases provide a welcoming start, while the slang and double meanings keep the grid lively. ENDURANCE supplies the warmest moment, giving toddler duty the same billing as a mountain climb.
See you at the next grid.