Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and chatty phrasing, familiar trivia, and playful rhyme give the grid its spark. Come on in and enjoy the puzzle.
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: 33 (15 Across, 18 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 22D is the trickiest clue because it asks for a shared college affiliation rather than a campus name.
Gimme Clue: 19A is the clearest foothold, with a direct clue for a basic adjective describing something soaked.
Theme Spotted: "End Games"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Up to, informally
Hint: 1A: Think of a casual short form meaning up to a particular moment. Three letters, starts with T.
4A. Surfaces on which tabletop games are often played
Hint: 4A: Think of the playing surfaces printed with paths or grids for moving game pieces. Six letters, starts with B.
10A. "That's gonna be ___ from me, dawg" (much-memed Randy Jackson catchphrase from "American Idol")
Hint: 10A: Randy Jackson is delivering a blunt rejection of an audition. Three letters, starts with A.
11A. Not hip in the slightest
Hint: 11A: Think socially unfashionable, rather than physically chilly. Six letters, starts with U.
12A. Engine failure or low tire pressure
Hint: 12A: The phrase covers mechanical problems that can interrupt a drive. Ten letters, starts with C.
14A. Broadcasting live
Hint: 14A: Think of the studio status indicating that a program is being transmitted. Five letters, starts with O.
15A. Angry, with "off"
Hint: 15A: Complete a colloquial expression for being irritated, using the supplied word “off.” Four letters, starts with T.
16A. Topic for many Cosmo or Maxim stories
Hint: 16A: Think of the intimate side of someone's personal relationships. Seven letters, starts with S.
18A. Letter that comes between (and rhymes with) zeta and theta
Hint: 18A: Use the Greek alphabet sequence, with the rhyme as a pronunciation check. Three letters, starts with E.
19A. Drenched
Hint: 19A: Think of the basic condition of clothing caught in a downpour. Three letters, starts with W.
22A. "Please accept my apology!"
Hint: 22A: Respond with an emphatic personal apology expressing deep regret. Ten letters, starts with I.
26A. DVD player predecessor
Hint: 26A: Think of the home video machine that played VHS cassettes. Three letters, starts with V.
27A. 365 days in a row solving Wordle, e.g.
Hint: 27A: The key is an unbroken run of daily completions. Six letters, starts with S.
28A. "Absolutely!"
Hint: 28A: Give a direct affirmative reply. Three letters, starts with Y.
29A. Taste or touch
Hint: 29A: Both examples are bodily faculties for perceiving your surroundings. Five letters, starts with S.
Down Hints
1D. Mexican food in hard shells
Hint: 1D: Picture crunchy folded tortillas holding fillings and toppings. Five letters, starts with T.
2D. Nonsensical
Hint: 2D: Think foolishly empty or lacking any meaningful point. Five letters, starts with I.
3D. "I speak for the trees" Dr. Seuss character
Hint: 3D: Picture Dr. Seuss's mustached guardian who defends the trees. Five letters, starts with L.
4D. Mexican food in soft shells
Hint: 4D: Think of soft tortillas wrapped around fillings into enclosed bundles. Eight letters, starts with B.
5D. Peace activist Yoko
Hint: 5D: Think of the artist and activist who married John Lennon. Three letters, starts with O.
6D. Less than 90°
Hint: 6D: Think of the geometry term for an angle narrower than a right angle. Five letters, starts with A.
7D. Judge's garment
Hint: 7D: Picture the flowing black garment worn on the judicial bench. Four letters, starts with R.
8D. Big name in pineapples
Hint: 8D: Think of a fruit brand found on pineapple cans and banana stickers. Four letters, starts with D.
9D. Iditarod vehicle
Hint: 9D: Picture the runner-equipped vehicle pulled by a dog team across snow. Four letters, starts with S.
13D. Mahjong pieces
Hint: 13D: Think of the small marked pieces arranged into a mahjong hand. Five letters, starts with T.
17D. Refrains from eating
Hint: 17D: Think of deliberately abstaining from food. Five letters, starts with F.
19D. Little brown songbird
Hint: 19D: Think of a compact songbird often pictured with its tail cocked upward. Four letters, starts with W.
20D. The ___ Tour (Taylor Swift concert series)
Hint: 20D: Think of the concert named for the distinct chapters of Taylor Swift's musical career. Four letters, starts with E.
21D. Little one that rides (and rhymes with) a trike
Hint: 21D: Find an affectionate term for a small child, using the trike rhyme. Four letters, starts with T.
22D. Dartmouth or Brown
Hint: 22D: Think of the collegiate league shared by Dartmouth and Brown. Three letters, starts with I.
23D. Versatile blackjack card
Hint: 23D: Think of the blackjack card whose value can adjust to suit your hand. Three letters, starts with A.
24D. "The Marvelous ___ Maisel"
Hint: 24D: The blank supplies a married woman's honorific in the series title. Three letters, starts with M.
25D. Resource in Minecraft
Hint: 25D: Think of mineral-bearing material mined for useful metals. Three letters, starts with O.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Up to, informally
Answer: TIL
4A. Surfaces on which tabletop games are often played
Answer: BOARDS
10A. "That's gonna be ___ from me, dawg" (much-memed Randy Jackson catchphrase from "American Idol")
Answer: ANO
11A. Not hip in the slightest
Answer: UNCOOL
12A. Engine failure or low tire pressure
Answer: CARTROUBLE
14A. Broadcasting live
Answer: ONAIR
15A. Angry, with "off"
Answer: TEED
16A. Topic for many Cosmo or Maxim stories
Answer: SEXLIFE
18A. Letter that comes between (and rhymes with) zeta and theta
Answer: ETA
19A. Drenched
Answer: WET
22A. "Please accept my apology!"
Answer: IAMSOSORRY
26A. DVD player predecessor
Answer: VCR
27A. 365 days in a row solving Wordle, e.g.
Answer: STREAK
28A. "Absolutely!"
Answer: YES
29A. Taste or touch
Answer: SENSE
Down Answers
1D. Mexican food in hard shells
Answer: TACOS
2D. Nonsensical
Answer: INANE
3D. "I speak for the trees" Dr. Seuss character
Answer: LORAX
4D. Mexican food in soft shells
Answer: BURRITOS
5D. Peace activist Yoko
Answer: ONO
6D. Less than 90°
Answer: ACUTE
7D. Judge's garment
Answer: ROBE
8D. Big name in pineapples
Answer: DOLE
9D. Iditarod vehicle
Answer: SLED
13D. Mahjong pieces
Answer: TILES
17D. Refrains from eating
Answer: FASTS
19D. Little brown songbird
Answer: WREN
20D. The ___ Tour (Taylor Swift concert series)
Answer: ERAS
21D. Little one that rides (and rhymes with) a trike
Answer: TYKE
22D. Dartmouth or Brown
Answer: IVY
23D. Versatile blackjack card
Answer: ACE
24D. "The Marvelous ___ Maisel"
Answer: MRS
25D. Resource in Minecraft
Answer: ORE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 22A, “Please accept my apology!”, gives I AM SO SORRY. It captures the grid's conversational flavor by asking you to translate the speaker's intent into an equally emphatic spoken phrase.
Wordplay Winner: 21D wins the wordplay nod with TYKE, the little rider who rhymes with “trike.” The clue links a child's vehicle to a matching nickname, making the rhyme a useful check on the definition.
Quick Fill: 19A, “Drenched,” makes WET the fastest confident fill. It supplies the opening letters of WREN, ERAS, and TYKE, giving you immediate footholds in the lower-right corner.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Treat quoted dialogue as something to say aloud. A NO at 10A and I AM SO SORRY at 22A reward matching the speaker's intent rather than searching for a formal synonym.
Read supplied phrase fragments as part of the definition. At 15A, attaching “off” to TEED confirms the angry expression and keeps a golf association from sending you astray.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct definitions gave this grid a friendly footing, while the spoken phrases added personality. I AM SO SORRY was the satisfying payoff, a full apology that clicked into ordinary conversation.
See you at the next grid.
