Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and playful misdirection and paired clues give this grid a crafty twist. Come on in, there's plenty of friendly footing around the trickier clues.
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: 29 (15 Across, 14 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 14A is the toughest stop because its paired definitions resist an ordinary reading, making the theme trick crucial.
Gimme Clue: 1A offers the clearest foothold; its exercise definition points directly to a familiar everyday verb.
Theme Spotted: "Leave Me Out of It"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Light run
Hint: Think of an easy-paced outing in running shoes. Three letters, starts with J.
4A. Landmass that includes Laos
Hint: Zoom out from Laos to its continent. Four letters, starts with A.
8A. Like the vast majority of Bedouins
Hint: Think of an ethnic identity rather than a religion. Four letters, starts with A.
10A. Low-___ diet
Hint: Think of the nutrient group found in bread and pasta. Four letters, starts with C.
11A. Fights to beat the rap, in brief?
Hint: Move from the courtroom to competitive hip-hop. Nine letters, starts with M.
13A. Take a breather
Hint: Pause your activity and recover. Four letters, starts with R.
14A. Give up one's accomplices / Grandmothers, affectionately
Hint: Focus on identifying your partners in wrongdoing to the authorities. Nine letters, starts with N.
19A. Botch
Hint: Think of making a clumsy mistake during a performance. Four letters, starts with F.
20A. Lordly term of address
Hint: Think of a courtly way to address a king. Four letters, starts with S.
21A. "Homer and ___ Exchange Cross Words" ("The Simpsons" episode)
Hint: Homer's saxophone-playing daughter fills the blank. Four letters, starts with L.
22A. Privy to, as secret plans
Hint: Think of being included among those who know the confidential details. Four letters, starts with I.
23A. Sixtieth of a min
Hint: Match the clue's shortened unit with a shortened subdivision. Three letters, starts with S.
24A. Government agents, for short
Hint: Think informal shorthand for agents who work at the national level. Four letters, starts with F.
25A. Tongue-clicking sound
Hint: Imagine a disapproving click of the tongue. Three letters, starts with T.
26A. "I'd like to ___ you try"
Hint: The speaker challenges someone to demonstrate that they can do it. Three letters, starts with S.
Down Hints
1D. Word after Def, Pearl or Space
Hint: Find a shared follow-up for a record label, a rock band and a basketball movie. Three letters, starts with J.
2D. Foe encountered by Frodo on the way to Mordor
Hint: Think of a hostile creature in Tolkien's fantasy world. Three letters, starts with O.
3D. Gift of ___
Hint: This idiom praises someone's knack for fluent chatter. Three letters, starts with G.
4D. Pretends it's the case that
Hint: Think of behaving as though something were true. Eight letters, starts with A.
5D. Backbreaking workplaces, so to speak / Crackers traditionally used to soothe an upset stomach
Hint: Focus on the figurative destination for grueling daily labor. Nine letters, starts with S.
6D. Fury
Hint: Choose a compact synonym for wrath. Three letters, starts with I.
7D. Muscles retracted when doing the vacuum pose
Hint: Think of the belly muscles pulled inward during the pose. Three letters, starts with A.
9D. On a horse without a saddle / Helper who refills liquor bottles and cleans glassware
Hint: Picture riding with no tack between rider and horse. Eight letters, starts with B.
12D. Number of Oscars won by "West Side Story" (1961)
Hint: Recall the Oscar haul for the original film adaptation of the Broadway musical. Three letters, starts with T.
14D. Org. with Lions and Bears, oh my!
Hint: Treat the animal labels as football teams and supply their league's initials. Three letters, starts with N.
15D. Top-tier celebrity's status
Hint: Think of the prestige bracket reserved for Hollywood's biggest stars. Five letters, starts with A.
16D. Sources of creative inspiration / Swiss Army knives have many of these
Hint: Focus on the figures who spark an artist's imagination. Five letters, starts with M.
17D. Diminish, as trust / Was a passenger on
Hint: Think of gradually wearing something away. Five letters, starts with E.
18D. One of a person's five (six, if they're psychic)
Hint: Hearing and touch are examples of the faculty sought here. Five letters, starts with S.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Light run
Answer: JOG
4A. Landmass that includes Laos
Answer: ASIA
8A. Like the vast majority of Bedouins
Answer: ARAB
10A. Low-___ diet
Answer: CARB
11A. Fights to beat the rap, in brief?
Answer: MCBATTLES
13A. Take a breather
Answer: REST
14A. Give up one's accomplices / Grandmothers, affectionately
Answer: NAMENAMES
19A. Botch
Answer: FLUB
20A. Lordly term of address
Answer: SIRE
21A. "Homer and ___ Exchange Cross Words" ("The Simpsons" episode)
Answer: LISA
22A. Privy to, as secret plans
Answer: INON
23A. Sixtieth of a min
Answer: SEC
24A. Government agents, for short
Answer: FEDS
25A. Tongue-clicking sound
Answer: TSK
26A. "I'd like to ___ you try"
Answer: SEE
Down Answers
1D. Word after Def, Pearl or Space
Answer: JAM
2D. Foe encountered by Frodo on the way to Mordor
Answer: ORC
3D. Gift of ___
Answer: GAB
4D. Pretends it's the case that
Answer: ACTSASIF
5D. Backbreaking workplaces, so to speak / Crackers traditionally used to soothe an upset stomach
Answer: SALTMINES
6D. Fury
Answer: IRE
7D. Muscles retracted when doing the vacuum pose
Answer: ABS
9D. On a horse without a saddle / Helper who refills liquor bottles and cleans glassware
Answer: BAREBACK
12D. Number of Oscars won by "West Side Story" (1961)
Answer: TEN
14D. Org. with Lions and Bears, oh my!
Answer: NFL
15D. Top-tier celebrity's status
Answer: ALIST
16D. Sources of creative inspiration / Swiss Army knives have many of these
Answer: MUSES
17D. Diminish, as trust / Was a passenger on
Answer: ERODE
18D. One of a person's five (six, if they're psychic)
Answer: SENSE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 14A, "Give up one's accomplices / Grandmothers, affectionately", defines the puzzle through NAME NAMES. Removing M, E, M and E leaves NANAS, turning an apparent mismatch into a satisfying letter-removal trick.
Wordplay Winner: 11A, "Fights to beat the rap, in brief?", earns the wordplay prize with MC BATTLES. The clue steers you toward avoiding a criminal charge, then shifts to rappers competing through their performances.
Quick Fill: JOG at 1A is the fastest confident fill, a direct match for "Light run". It supplies the opening letters of JAM, ORC and GAB, giving the upper-left corner a useful foothold.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
For slash-separated clues, solve the definition that fits the crossings before tackling the transformation. SALT MINES becomes SALTINES without its M, while BAREBACK becomes BARBACK without its E, giving you a repeatable approach to the other paired clues.
Use punctuation and abbreviation signals to choose your reading early. The question mark at 11A invites the musical turn behind MC BATTLES, while "Org." at 14D points toward initials and NFL.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct clues give you a foothold, and the paired definitions reward a closer look. NAME NAMES delivers the best payoff, with a small subtraction producing a completely different word.
See you at the next grid.