Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans into crisp trivia, playful definitions, and a repeated directional motif. Settle in for a lively grid with rewarding crossings.
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: 32 (15 Across, 17 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 12A is the trickiest clue because it asks you to identify an actor through a film title and year rather than a direct character description.
Gimme Clue: 23A is the cleanest gimme because claws and paws point directly to a familiar household pet.
Theme Spotted: "Things Are Looking Up"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Mimicked
Hint: Think of copying another person's manner or behavior. Four letters, starts with A.
5A. Significant weight
Hint: Picture weight substantial enough to feel impressive in your hands. Four letters, starts with H.
9A. Small fastener on a jet or denim jeans
Hint: Look for the tiny metal fastener shared by aircraft panels and denim. Five letters, starts with R.
11A. Scary fairy tale character
Hint: Think of the hulking fairy-tale villain who frightens heroes. Four letters, starts with O.
12A. "North" star, 1994
Hint: Identify the actor who played the title character in the 1994 film “North.” Ten letters, starts with E.
14A. North Star
Hint: Name the star that marks the northern celestial pole. Seven letters, starts with P.
15A. Quarterback's throw: Abbr.
Hint: Use the football stat shorthand logged whenever a quarterback throws the ball. Three letters, starts with A.
16A. Prominent features of Pinocchio costumes
Hint: Focus on the exaggerated facial feature that grows in the wooden puppet's story, then make it plural for the costumes. Five letters, starts with N.
20A. Kristen of "Bridesmaids"
Hint: Recall the performer who played Annie Walker in “Bridesmaids.” Four letters, starts with W.
23A. Pet with claws and paws
Hint: The clue wants the familiar household pet known for whiskers, claws, and soft paws. Three letters, starts with C.
24A. North Star State
Hint: Translate the state nickname into the U.S. state it officially identifies. Nine letters, starts with M.
26A. Ancient builder of the Sacsayhuamán fortress
Hint: Think of the Andean civilization whose people built the fortress above Cusco. Four letters, starts with I.
27A. "___ sesame!"
Hint: Complete the magical command used to unseal the cave in the familiar tale. Four letters, starts with O.
28A. Muted shade of gray
Hint: Think of a soft gray named for the powder left after burning. Three letters, starts with A.
29A. Curve
Hint: Use a verb for making something take a curved shape. Four letters, starts with B.
Down Hints
1D. South American flatbread
Hint: Think of the cornmeal cake associated with Venezuelan and Colombian cooking. Five letters, starts with A.
2D. "Cabin crew, prepare for landing" speaker
Hint: Identify the flight-deck professional who gives cabin crew this landing call. Five letters, starts with P.
3D. Wicked doppelgängers
Hint: Picture sinister doubles of familiar characters, the classic doppelgänger trope. Nine letters, starts with E.
4D. ___ vu (odd sense of familiarity)
Hint: Supply the French word that comes before “vu” in the phrase for eerie familiarity. Four letters, starts with D.
5D. "Oh yeah? Spell it out for me"
Hint: Turn the skeptical request into a compact question meaning “In what way?” Five letters, starts with H.
6D. Self-image
Hint: Think of the inner picture you carry of yourself. Three letters, starts with E.
7D. Move to and ___
Hint: Complete the back-and-forth phrase describing motion in both directions. Three letters, starts with F.
8D. Ben Stiller's character in "There's Something About Mary"
Hint: Recall the character Ben Stiller plays in the romantic comedy named by the clue. Three letters, starts with T.
10D. Road sealing material
Hint: Think of the dark, sticky substance used to seal pavement. Three letters, starts with T.
13D. Movable joint on a door
Hint: Name the hardware joint that lets a door swing. Five letters, starts with H.
17D. Brand of mouthwash
Hint: Recall the oral-rinse brand whose name also means range or extent. Five letters, starts with S.
18D. Gobbled up
Hint: Use the past-participle form for food that has been consumed greedily. Five letters, starts with E.
19D. Booth at a state fair, e.g.
Hint: Think of a small vendor's booth at a fair. Five letters, starts with S.
21D. Approximate length of an adult pinky toe
Hint: Think of the customary unit used for a very short toe measurement. Four letters, starts with I.
22D. Tempest ___ teapot
Hint: Complete the familiar idiom for making a huge fuss over a tiny matter. Three letters, starts with I.
24D. The Heat, on scoreboards
Hint: Use the scoreboard abbreviation for the Florida basketball team named in the clue. Three letters, starts with M.
25D. Cry loudly
Hint: Think of weeping with loud, gasping breaths. Three letters, starts with S.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Mimicked
Answer: APED
5A. Significant weight
Answer: HEFT
9A. Small fastener on a jet or denim jeans
Answer: RIVET
11A. Scary fairy tale character
Answer: OGRE
12A. "North" star, 1994
Answer: ELIJAHWOOD
14A. North Star
Answer: POLARIS
15A. Quarterback's throw: Abbr.
Answer: ATT
16A. Prominent features of Pinocchio costumes
Answer: NOSES
20A. Kristen of "Bridesmaids"
Answer: WIIG
23A. Pet with claws and paws
Answer: CAT
24A. North Star State
Answer: MINNESOTA
26A. Ancient builder of the Sacsayhuamán fortress
Answer: INCA
27A. "___ sesame!"
Answer: OPEN
28A. Muted shade of gray
Answer: ASH
29A. Curve
Answer: BEND
Down Answers
1D. South American flatbread
Answer: AREPA
2D. "Cabin crew, prepare for landing" speaker
Answer: PILOT
3D. Wicked doppelgängers
Answer: EVILTWINS
4D. ___ vu (odd sense of familiarity)
Answer: DEJA
5D. "Oh yeah? Spell it out for me"
Answer: HOWSO
6D. Self-image
Answer: EGO
7D. Move to and ___
Answer: FRO
8D. Ben Stiller's character in "There's Something About Mary"
Answer: TED
10D. Road sealing material
Answer: TAR
13D. Movable joint on a door
Answer: HINGE
17D. Brand of mouthwash
Answer: SCOPE
18D. Gobbled up
Answer: EATEN
19D. Booth at a state fair, e.g.
Answer: STAND
21D. Approximate length of an adult pinky toe
Answer: INCH
22D. Tempest ___ teapot
Answer: INA
24D. The Heat, on scoreboards
Answer: MIA
25D. Cry loudly
Answer: SOB
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 12A, “North” star, 1994, with ELIJAHWOOD is today's defining clue because “star” means the film's lead, while neighboring clues reuse North Star astronomically and geographically.
Wordplay Winner: 5D wins with HOWSO, turning “Spell it out for me” into a compact demand to explain exactly how something works.
Quick Fill: 23A CAT is the fastest confident fill, and its C, A, and T immediately steady SCOPE, EATEN, and STAND in the southeast.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Use ELIJAHWOOD and MINNESOTA as cross-checking rails once either begins to emerge, since both intersect a broad run of Down entries.
When clues repeat a phrase, test distinct senses before forcing duplication. Here North star points to ELIJAHWOOD, POLARIS, and MINNESOTA through film, astronomy, and a state nickname.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly at the edges and slyly through the center, with ELIJAHWOOD turning a simple directional phrase into the day's best reveal.
See you at the next grid.
