Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and a playful grid reference joins music, everyday objects, and conversational clues. Settle in for a mix of familiar territory and sideways thinking.
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: 9x10
Total Clues: 31 (13 Across, 18 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 14A is the trickiest because “Curse” leaves you choosing between foul language and an old-fashioned wish of harm.
Gimme Clue: 8A is the cleanest gimme, with a concrete golf-course object and no verbal detour.
Theme Spotted: "Get in Line"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Genre for 21 Savage and 50 Cent
Hint: Think rhythmic vocal delivery over a beat. Three letters, starts with R.
4A. Tanning oil initials
Hint: Look for the abbreviation attached to a product's sun-protection rating. Three letters, starts with S.
7A. Number between cero and dos
Hint: Continue the Spanish counting sequence through the missing middle term. Three letters, starts with U.
8A. Peg on a golf course
Hint: Think of the small support beneath the ball before a golfer swings. Three letters, starts with T.
9A. Create hype
Hint: Look for a phrase about generating excited conversation around something. Nine letters, starts with M.
13A. Company that merged with Mobil in 1999
Hint: Recall the other oil-company name paired with Mobil in the merged business. Five letters, starts with E.
14A. Curse
Hint: Think of an old-fashioned curse wishing disease upon someone. Three letters, starts with P.
15A. People after whom things are named
Hint: The target is the people whose names become names for other things. Seven letters, starts with E.
19A. "So, ___ been thinking ..."
Hint: Read the sentence aloud and supply the speaker's contraction before “been.” Three letters, starts with I.
20A. Relaxing sound at a spa
Hint: Imagine the contented sigh that follows a soothing massage. Three letters, starts with A.
22A. Game played on a 3x3 grid, as seen in this puzzle
Hint: Think of the pencil-and-paper game where opponents place crosses and circles. Nine letters, starts with T.
26A. Competitors in a certain spoken-word performance event
Hint: Think of performers who present verse in a judged live contest. Nine letters, starts with S.
27A. ___-gritty
Hint: Complete the familiar expression for the practical details of a matter. Five letters, starts with N.
Down Hints
1D. Stereotypical liquor for a pirate
Hint: Think of the sugarcane spirit associated with fictional seafarers. Three letters, starts with R.
2D. Santa ___ winds
Hint: Recall the full name of Southern California's hot, dry winds. Three letters, starts with A.
3D. (finger emoji pointing right)
Hint: Treat the finger as an action, a quick jab rather than a direction. Four letters, starts with P.
4D. Leave dumbstruck
Hint: Look for a verb meaning to overwhelm someone with surprise. Four letters, starts with S.
5D. Candy in a plastic dispenser
Hint: Picture the candy brand whose dispenser releases little tablets beneath a hinged character head. Three letters, starts with P.
6D. Red felt hat with a tassel
Hint: Picture a brimless red cap with a flat top and a dangling tassel. Three letters, starts with F.
10D. Trade show
Hint: Think of a shortened term for an exhibition where businesses display their products. Four letters, starts with E.
11D. Part of a nerve cell
Hint: Focus on the nerve-cell projection that carries signals away from the cell body. Four letters, starts with A.
12D. Like a car that's all angles and no curves
Hint: Imagine a vehicle shaped like a rectangular container. Four letters, starts with B.
15D. What superheroes fight against
Hint: Look for the abstract moral opposite of good, rather than a particular villain. Four letters, starts with E.
16D. Popular nut in ice cream and pies
Hint: Think of the nut associated with a buttery ice-cream flavor and a rich pie filling. Five letters, starts with P.
17D. Pirate's pal
Hint: Use the friendly form of address heard in pirate dialogue. Five letters, starts with M.
18D. Espresso unit
Hint: Think of the serving measure used when ordering espresso. Four letters, starts with S.
19D. The "I" of T.G.I.F.
Hint: Expand the Friday expression and identify the contraction represented by the quoted initial. Three letters, starts with I.
21D. "She's everything. ___ just Ken" ("Barbie" tagline)
Hint: Recall the full Barbie slogan and supply the contraction introducing Ken's description. Three letters, starts with H.
23D. "I did NOT need to know that!"
Hint: Think of the abbreviated response to an unwelcome personal disclosure. Three letters, starts with T.
24D. Like this clue's formatting of bold or italic, say
Hint: Judge whether the formatting is fitting for the words it describes. Three letters, starts with A.
25D. Extra bed at a hotel, perhaps
Hint: Think of a portable sleeping option a hotel can bring into a room. Three letters, starts with C.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Genre for 21 Savage and 50 Cent
Answer: RAP
4A. Tanning oil initials
Answer: SPF
7A. Number between cero and dos
Answer: UNO
8A. Peg on a golf course
Answer: TEE
9A. Create hype
Answer: MAKEABUZZ
13A. Company that merged with Mobil in 1999
Answer: EXXON
14A. Curse
Answer: POX
15A. People after whom things are named
Answer: EPONYMS
19A. "So, ___ been thinking ..."
Answer: IVE
20A. Relaxing sound at a spa
Answer: AHH
22A. Game played on a 3x3 grid, as seen in this puzzle
Answer: TICTACTOE
26A. Competitors in a certain spoken-word performance event
Answer: SLAMPOETS
27A. ___-gritty
Answer: NITTY
Down Answers
1D. Stereotypical liquor for a pirate
Answer: RUM
2D. Santa ___ winds
Answer: ANA
3D. (finger emoji pointing right)
Answer: POKE
4D. Leave dumbstruck
Answer: STUN
5D. Candy in a plastic dispenser
Answer: PEZ
6D. Red felt hat with a tassel
Answer: FEZ
10D. Trade show
Answer: EXPO
11D. Part of a nerve cell
Answer: AXON
12D. Like a car that's all angles and no curves
Answer: BOXY
15D. What superheroes fight against
Answer: EVIL
16D. Popular nut in ice cream and pies
Answer: PECAN
17D. Pirate's pal
Answer: MATEY
18D. Espresso unit
Answer: SHOT
19D. The "I" of T.G.I.F.
Answer: ITS
21D. "She's everything. ___ just Ken" ("Barbie" tagline)
Answer: HES
23D. "I did NOT need to know that!"
Answer: TMI
24D. Like this clue's formatting of bold or italic, say
Answer: APT
25D. Extra bed at a hotel, perhaps
Answer: COT
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 22A, “Game played on a 3x3 grid, as seen in this puzzle,” yields TIC TAC TOE. The reference to the puzzle itself turns a familiar game definition into a visual invitation, giving the grid a playful identity.
Wordplay Winner: 14A, “Curse,” earns the wordplay nod with POX. The misdirection comes from reading “curse” as profanity before recognizing the old-fashioned wish that disease befall someone.
Quick Fill: 8A, TEE, is the fastest confident fill because the golf peg has a direct, concrete name. It anchors the upper-right corner by supplying letters to 4D STUN, 5D PEZ, and 6D FEZ.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Start with concrete objects such as TEE, PEZ, and FEZ, then use their letters to narrow the phrase MAKE A BUZZ. A broad clue like “Create hype” becomes easier once the crossings constrain the wording.
Read conversational blanks aloud before treating them as trivia. IVE, ITS, and HES represent contractions, so restoring the spoken sentence helps you find the fill even though the grid omits apostrophes.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
This grid balances reassuring everyday clues with a few useful changes of perspective. TIC TAC TOE supplies the playful centerpiece, while POX rewards a broader reading of a deceptively simple clue.
See you at the next grid.
