Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and it mixes crisp trivia with playful clues drawn from technology, books, music, and everyday objects. 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: 25 (11 Across, 14 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 7D is the trickiest clue because it asks for a specific author and gives little foothold beyond the crossing letters.
Gimme Clue: 13D is the clearest gimme, since the base liquor in a mojito is a standard piece of cocktail knowledge.
Theme Spotted: "But First, Coffee"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Open windows on an internet browser
Hint: Think of the labeled pages that let you keep several sites open within a single browser window. Four letters, starts with T.
5A. Waymo cars, e.g.
Hint: Classify Waymo vehicles by the kind of machines they are when operating without a human driver. Six letters, starts with R.
7A. Snoopy's hip alter ego
Hint: Picture Snoopy in sunglasses, adopting his laid-back, self-assured Peanuts persona. Seven letters, starts with J.
8A. Post-Ramadan festival that translates to "festival"
Hint: Use the short Arabic word associated with the celebration that follows Ramadan. Three letters, starts with E.
9A. "All ___ Well" (Taylor Swift song with a "10 Minute Version")
Hint: Complete the Taylor Swift song title with the small linking word immediately before “Well.” Three letters, starts with T.
10A. Language behind much dynamic web content
Hint: Think of the browser scripting language commonly paired with HTML and CSS to make web pages interactive. Ten letters, starts with J.
14A. Actress Thurman
Hint: Picture the actor who played Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction and the Bride in Kill Bill. Three letters, starts with U.
15A. Section of a color wheel
Hint: The target is the basic color family, considered apart from its brightness or intensity. Three letters, starts with H.
16A. Entryway for dropping off backpacks and dirty shoes
Hint: Name the transitional space near a home entrance where bags, coats, and dirty footwear get left. Seven letters, starts with M.
19A. Prefix with intellectual or science
Hint: The shared prefix means false, imitation, or only outwardly resembling the real thing. Six letters, starts with P.
20A. Jigsaw puzzle border
Hint: Picture the outer boundary formed by the straight-sided pieces of an assembled jigsaw. Four letters, starts with E.
Down Hints
1D. Where a Hindu woman wears a bichiya
Hint: A bichiya is worn on a digit of the foot, traditionally beside the largest digit. Three letters, starts with T.
2D. "Eric Carle's ___" (children's book whose first pages include drawings of ants, a bird and a crocodile)
Hint: The pictured creatures advance in alphabetical order in this Eric Carle children's book. Three letters, starts with A.
3D. Baby's knitted foot warmer
Hint: Think of soft knitted footwear made for an infant, shaped like a tiny sock or shoe. Six letters, starts with B.
4D. Brownstone "porch"
Hint: Use the New York term for the short front staircase and landing outside a brownstone. Five letters, starts with S.
5D. Some pretzel shapes
Hint: Skip the classic twisted knot and picture the long, straight pretzel form. Four letters, starts with R.
6D. Piggy bank opening
Hint: Coins enter a piggy bank through this narrow opening. Four letters, starts with S.
7D. "Trick Mirror" author ___ Tolentino
Hint: Think of the New Yorker staff writer and essayist who wrote Trick Mirror. Three letters, starts with J.
8D. Got away from
Hint: The past-tense verb means successfully eluded a pursuer or avoided capture. Six letters, starts with E.
10D. React at a haunted house, maybe
Hint: Picture the sudden upward motion caused by a sharp scare in a haunted attraction. Four letters, starts with J.
11D. Bring a smile to
Hint: Use a verb meaning to entertain someone or cause delight. Five letters, starts with A.
12D. Shoe designer Jimmy
Hint: The clue wants the family name of luxury footwear designer Jimmy, whose name also labels his brand. Four letters, starts with C.
13D. Liquor in a mojito
Hint: Name the sugarcane-based spirit that provides a mojito's alcoholic base. Three letters, starts with R.
17D. Handwoven floor cover, perhaps
Hint: Think of a woven textile laid underfoot to warm or decorate part of a floor. Three letters, starts with R.
18D. "An ___ We Owe" (Amanda Gorman poem)
Hint: The missing word names a lyric poem written in praise or tribute. 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. Open windows on an internet browser
Answer: TABS
5A. Waymo cars, e.g.
Answer: ROBOTS
7A. Snoopy's hip alter ego
Answer: JOECOOL
8A. Post-Ramadan festival that translates to "festival"
Answer: EID
9A. "All ___ Well" (Taylor Swift song with a "10 Minute Version")
Answer: TOO
10A. Language behind much dynamic web content
Answer: JAVASCRIPT
14A. Actress Thurman
Answer: UMA
15A. Section of a color wheel
Answer: HUE
16A. Entryway for dropping off backpacks and dirty shoes
Answer: MUDROOM
19A. Prefix with intellectual or science
Answer: PSEUDO
20A. Jigsaw puzzle border
Answer: EDGE
Down Answers
1D. Where a Hindu woman wears a bichiya
Answer: TOE
2D. "Eric Carle's ___" (children's book whose first pages include drawings of ants, a bird and a crocodile)
Answer: ABC
3D. Baby's knitted foot warmer
Answer: BOOTIE
4D. Brownstone "porch"
Answer: STOOP
5D. Some pretzel shapes
Answer: RODS
6D. Piggy bank opening
Answer: SLOT
7D. "Trick Mirror" author ___ Tolentino
Answer: JIA
8D. Got away from
Answer: EVADED
10D. React at a haunted house, maybe
Answer: JUMP
11D. Bring a smile to
Answer: AMUSE
12D. Shoe designer Jimmy
Answer: CHOO
13D. Liquor in a mojito
Answer: RUM
17D. Handwoven floor cover, perhaps
Answer: RUG
18D. "An ___ We Owe" (Amanda Gorman poem)
Answer: ODE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 10A, “Language behind much dynamic web content,” resolves to JAVASCRIPT. The clean definition and full-width placement make it the grid's commanding centerpiece.
Wordplay Winner: 5A wins the wordplay round with ROBOTS for “Waymo cars, e.g.” The clue shifts attention from vehicles to autonomous machines, making a familiar object feel freshly categorized.
Quick Fill: RUM was the fastest confident fill because the mojito clue points directly to its base spirit. It secures crossings for JAVASCRIPT, HUE, and MUDROOM on the grid's right side.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
When a long central clue is a direct technical definition, commit early if the crossings agree. JAVASCRIPT supplies useful letters for JUMP, AMUSE, EVADED, CHOO, RUM, BOOTIE, STOOP, and SLOT.
Use concrete object clues as crossing engines before wrestling with proper names. TABS, EDGE, and RUM are quick, confident fills, while proper names such as JIA and UMA can wait.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
This grid treated solvers to a brisk mix of precise definitions and lively cultural references. JAVASCRIPT gave the puzzle a strong backbone, while JOECOOL supplied its most memorable personality.
See you at the next grid.
