Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and it mixes direct vocabulary with entertainment trivia and a snowy bit of misdirection. Come on in, and let the familiar clues open a path through the grid.
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: 9x11
Total Clues: 38 (14 Across, 24 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 32A gets the trickiest nod because its innocent weather wording conceals a much more dramatic event.
Gimme Clue: 6D is the easiest foothold, asking for the everyday response that communicates agreement.
Theme Spotted: "Heavens to Betsy"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Heavens, by another name
Hint: 1A points overhead, toward the expanse beyond the rooftops. Three letters, starts with S.
4A. Utter
Hint: 4A uses utter as a verb, meaning to speak aloud. Three letters, starts with S.
7A. Tally the points
Hint: 7A asks what a courtside official does to track each team's total. Nine letters, starts with K.
11A. Hoofed mammals that can weigh over 2,000 pounds
Hint: 11A calls for a broad group of horned grazers that includes elands. Nine letters, starts with A.
12A. Small battery size
Hint: 12A points to the slender cylindrical batteries found in remote controls. Three letters, starts with A.
13A. Lacking charisma
Hint: 13A describes someone with no personal magnetism. Nine letters, starts with C.
19A. Liquid boiled to make maple syrup
Hint: 19A starts with what flows from a maple tree before the boiling begins. Three letters, starts with S.
20A. Pool workout unit
Hint: 20A wants a swimming circuit rather than a measure of elapsed time. Three letters, starts with L.
21A. Strength and zeal
Hint: 21A names the force or fervor someone brings to an effort. Nine letters, starts with I.
25A. ___ tai (rum-based cocktail)
Hint: 25A completes the name of a tropical drink featuring rum, lime and almond syrup. Three letters, starts with M.
26A. Tinder or Hinge
Hint: 26A asks for the kind of phone service used to seek a romantic match. Nine letters, starts with D.
32A. Snow fall?
Hint: 32A sends the snow downhill in a rushing mass rather than gently through the air. Nine letters, starts with A.
33A. Sass
Hint: 33A wants a colloquial term for disrespectful back talk. Three letters, starts with L.
34A. Betsy, by another name
Hint: 34A seeks another nickname derived from Elizabeth. Three letters, starts with L.
Down Hints
1D. Genre similar to reggae
Hint: 1D points to Jamaican music with a brisk offbeat rhythm and prominent horns. Three letters, starts with S.
2D. Jennings of "Jeopardy!"
Hint: 2D identifies Jennings, the quiz champion who became the show's host. Three letters, starts with K.
3D. Thus far
Hint: 3D fits a question about whether something has happened up to now. Three letters, starts with Y.
4D. Soak (up)
Hint: 4D describes using bread to absorb the remaining gravy. Three letters, starts with S.
5D. Bob Dylan's "The Times They ___ a-Changin'"
Hint: 5D needs the helping verb between the plural subject and Dylan's description of change. Three letters, starts with A.
6D. Word of assent
Hint: 6D wants an affirmative response. Three letters, starts with Y.
8D. Fruit with a bulbous base
Hint: 8D points to orchard fruit with a narrow neck and rounded bottom. Four letters, starts with P.
9D. Serena ___ (rare tennis feat)
Hint: 9D completes the nickname for Williams's feat of holding all major singles titles simultaneously. Four letters, starts with S.
10D. Gift for naughty kids
Hint: 10D invokes the sooty lump threatened for a misbehaving child's stocking. Four letters, starts with C.
13D. Long-running forensics show
Hint: 13D wants the abbreviated title of the crime drama centered on forensic evidence. Three letters, starts with C.
14D. Solo who said "Look, your worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight. I take orders from just one person: me"
Hint: 14D identifies the Millennium Falcon pilot with an independent streak. Three letters, starts with H.
15D. Appropriate
Hint: 15D means fitting or well suited to the occasion. Three letters, starts with A.
16D. Ex-QB Manning
Hint: 16D identifies the Manning who played quarterback for the New York Giants. Three letters, starts with E.
17D. Had a rest, maybe
Hint: 17D describes having taken a seat to rest. Three letters, starts with S.
18D. "I ___ with my little eye ..."
Hint: 18D completes the familiar opening of a children's observation game. Three letters, starts with S.
22D. "S.N.L." alum Wakim
Hint: 22D identifies the comedian Wakim from the late-night sketch show's cast. Four letters, starts with E.
23D. Granny, to some
Hint: 23D wants an affectionate family nickname for a grandmother. Four letters, starts with N.
24D. Put pen to paper, say
Hint: 24D asks what you do when adding your name to a contract. Four letters, starts with S.
26D. Indian lentil dish
Hint: 26D points to a comforting lentil preparation often served with rice. Three letters, starts with D.
27D. Bird-related: Prefix
Hint: 27D wants the combining form used at the beginning of words about birds. Three letters, starts with A.
28D. Dance form with percussive shoes
Hint: 28D turns a dancer's footwork into rhythmic clicks. Three letters, starts with T.
29D. Common knee injury site, for short
Hint: 29D wants initials for a ligament inside the knee. Three letters, starts with A.
30D. The Eagles, on scoreboards
Hint: 30D needs the shortened city label for the NFL team from Philadelphia. Three letters, starts with P.
31D. Candy with collectible dispensers
Hint: 31D points to small candy tablets released from a dispenser with a hinged character head. Three letters, starts with P.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Heavens, by another name
Answer: SKY
4A. Utter
Answer: SAY
7A. Tally the points
Answer: KEEPSCORE
11A. Hoofed mammals that can weigh over 2,000 pounds
Answer: ANTELOPES
12A. Small battery size
Answer: AAA
13A. Lacking charisma
Answer: CHARMLESS
19A. Liquid boiled to make maple syrup
Answer: SAP
20A. Pool workout unit
Answer: LAP
21A. Strength and zeal
Answer: INTENSITY
25A. ___ tai (rum-based cocktail)
Answer: MAI
26A. Tinder or Hinge
Answer: DATINGAPP
32A. Snow fall?
Answer: AVALANCHE
33A. Sass
Answer: LIP
34A. Betsy, by another name
Answer: LIZ
Down Answers
1D. Genre similar to reggae
Answer: SKA
2D. Jennings of "Jeopardy!"
Answer: KEN
3D. Thus far
Answer: YET
4D. Soak (up)
Answer: SOP
5D. Bob Dylan's "The Times They ___ a-Changin'"
Answer: ARE
6D. Word of assent
Answer: YES
8D. Fruit with a bulbous base
Answer: PEAR
9D. Serena ___ (rare tennis feat)
Answer: SLAM
10D. Gift for naughty kids
Answer: COAL
13D. Long-running forensics show
Answer: CSI
14D. Solo who said "Look, your worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight. I take orders from just one person: me"
Answer: HAN
15D. Appropriate
Answer: APT
16D. Ex-QB Manning
Answer: ELI
17D. Had a rest, maybe
Answer: SAT
18D. "I ___ with my little eye ..."
Answer: SPY
22D. "S.N.L." alum Wakim
Answer: EMIL
23D. Granny, to some
Answer: NANA
24D. Put pen to paper, say
Answer: SIGN
26D. Indian lentil dish
Answer: DAL
27D. Bird-related: Prefix
Answer: AVI
28D. Dance form with percussive shoes
Answer: TAP
29D. Common knee injury site, for short
Answer: ACL
30D. The Eagles, on scoreboards
Answer: PHI
31D. Candy with collectible dispensers
Answer: PEZ
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 32A, "Snow fall?", produces AVALANCHE and gives the grid its sharpest turn. Separating the familiar weather term into distinct words shifts the image from falling flakes to a mass of snow tumbling downhill.
Wordplay Winner: 32A wins the wordplay prize with AVALANCHE. The question mark invites a fresh reading of fall as a sudden downward rush, making an ordinary weather phrase feel newly dangerous.
Quick Fill: 6D, YES for "Word of assent", is a confident opening fill that feeds 4A SAY, 7A KEEP SCORE and 11A ANTELOPES. That short affirmative gives the upper-right corner useful traction.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Use short, concrete clues to test longer vocabulary fills. CSI, HAN, APT, ELI, SAT and SPY, which also run through SAP and LAP, provide crossing letters for CHARMLESS and INTENSITY, so those compact answers can help settle the broad definitions.
Treat a question mark as a cue to reread the wording literally. AVALANCHE rewards that habit at 32A, where the space in "Snow fall?" carries the trick.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct definitions offer steady footing, while the trivia gives the crossings a job to do. AVALANCHE supplies the satisfying final jolt, a dramatic answer earned by a tiny shift in reading.
See you at the next grid.