Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and mixes brisk trivia with a skeletal wordplay finish. Settle in for a grid that rewards both quick recall and close reading.
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: 35 (18 Across, 17 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 5D is the trickiest clue because its surface asks for analysis while the circled skeletal pieces demand a second reading.
Gimme Clue: 31A is the gimme because bacon, lettuce, and tomato point directly to familiar sandwich shorthand.
Theme Spotted: "Crossbones"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Bitter-tasting
Hint: 1A: Think of a sharp, biting flavor, especially when the same description is applied to criticism. Five letters, starts with A.
6A. CBS forensic show with many spinoffs
Hint: 6A: Recall the title of CBS's crime-lab franchise with versions set in several cities. Three letters, starts with C.
9A. ___ Act, statute passed in 1764 to deter molasses smuggling
Hint: 9A: Think of the 1764 British statute aimed at colonial trade in sweeteners and molasses. Five letters, starts with S.
10A. Bumbling sort
Hint: 10A: Picture a clumsy, foolish person who keeps bungling simple tasks. Three letters, starts with O.
11A. "Go ahead, ask away!"
Hint: 11A: Use the short challenge that invites someone to pose a question. Five letters, starts with T.
12A. ___ the record
Hint: 12A: Complete the phrase for a statement not intended for attribution. Three letters, starts with O.
13A. Psychic's so-called "skill," for short
Hint: 13A: Think of the abbreviation for claimed perception beyond the ordinary senses. Three letters, starts with E.
14A. Back street
Hint: 14A: Picture a narrow passage running behind buildings rather than a main road. Five letters, starts with A.
16A. Movie shoot do-over
Hint: 16A: Think of another filmed attempt after the director rejects the previous shot. Six letters, starts with R.
18A. Jump to conclusions
Hint: 18A: Use the verb for accepting something as true without proof. Six letters, starts with A.
22A. Wanderer
Hint: 22A: Think of someone who travels from place to place without a fixed home. Five letters, starts with N.
25A. What might be caked on a dog after a rainy hike
Hint: 25A: Picture the wet earth stuck thickly to a dog's coat after a rainy hike. Three letters, starts with M.
26A. The Cavaliers of the N.C.A.A.
Hint: 26A: Identify the university represented by the Cavaliers in college athletics. Three letters, starts with U.
27A. Busy airport in the Midwest
Hint: 27A: Think of Chicago's major aviation hub northwest of the city. Five letters, starts with O.
29A. Disfigure
Hint: 29A: Use a verb meaning to damage the appearance of something. Three letters, starts with M.
30A. "Dangerous ___" (2016 Ariana Grande hit)
Hint: 30A: Supply the final word in Ariana Grande's 2016 hit title. Five letters, starts with W.
31A. Sandwich whose initials stand for its ingredients
Hint: 31A: Think of the sandwich abbreviated from bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Three letters, starts with B.
32A. Singer Diamond
Hint: 32A: Think of Diamond, the singer-songwriter behind “Sweet Caroline.” Four letters, starts with N.
Down Hints
1D. Flower that blooms in fall
Hint: 1D: Think of a daisy-like flower that brings color to autumn gardens. Five letters, starts with A.
2D. Put a hex on
Hint: 2D: Use the verb for placing a supernatural hex on someone. Five letters, starts with C.
3D. Home of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Hint: 3D: Name the country containing Giza and its famous pyramid complex. Five letters, starts with E.
4D. Animal with a hard head
Hint: 4D: Picture the horned male sheep known for head-butting. Three letters, starts with R.
5D. Analyzes ... or how to describe the circled bones in the 1st and 8th columns of this puzzle?
Hint: 5D: Read “analyzes” as a phrasal verb, then apply its second sense to the circled skeletal pieces. Ten letters, starts with B.
6D. "Sweet!"
Hint: 6D: Use the slang response meaning “Excellent!” Four letters, starts with C.
7D. Umpire's call with arms stretched out horizontally
Hint: 7D: Picture the baseball signal given with both arms extended sideways. Four letters, starts with S.
8D. Far from certain
Hint: 8D: Think of an adjective for a doubtful or uncertain proposition. Four letters, starts with I.
15D. "Allez ___ Bleus!" (French sports rallying cry)
Hint: 15D: Supply the French plural article in the rallying cry for the Blues. Three letters, starts with L.
17D. Battery for a wireless mouse, perhaps
Hint: 17D: Think of the small cylindrical battery commonly used in a wireless mouse. Three letters, starts with A.
19D. Savory taste
Hint: 19D: Name the savory taste associated with glutamates, broth, and aged cheese. Five letters, starts with U.
20D. Certain public artwork
Hint: 20D: Picture a large painting made directly on a public wall. Five letters, starts with M.
21D. Garden of Adam and Eve
Hint: 21D: Think of the biblical paradise inhabited by Adam and Eve. Four letters, starts with E.
22D. Like an arm that's asleep
Hint: 22D: Describe the lack of sensation caused by pressure on a sleeping limb. Four letters, starts with N.
23D. Shape of a rugby ball
Hint: 23D: Use the geometric word for an elongated circle. Four letters, starts with O.
24D. Spot to shop
Hint: 24D: Think of a compact retail center or trading place. Four letters, starts with M.
28D. Weed removal tool
Hint: 28D: Picture the long-handled garden implement used to loosen soil and uproot weeds. Three letters, starts with H.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Bitter-tasting
Answer: ACERB
6A. CBS forensic show with many spinoffs
Answer: CSI
9A. ___ Act, statute passed in 1764 to deter molasses smuggling
Answer: SUGAR
10A. Bumbling sort
Answer: OAF
11A. "Go ahead, ask away!"
Answer: TRYME
12A. ___ the record
Answer: OFF
13A. Psychic's so-called "skill," for short
Answer: ESP
14A. Back street
Answer: ALLEY
16A. Movie shoot do-over
Answer: RETAKE
18A. Jump to conclusions
Answer: ASSUME
22A. Wanderer
Answer: NOMAD
25A. What might be caked on a dog after a rainy hike
Answer: MUD
26A. The Cavaliers of the N.C.A.A.
Answer: UVA
27A. Busy airport in the Midwest
Answer: OHARE
29A. Disfigure
Answer: MAR
30A. "Dangerous ___" (2016 Ariana Grande hit)
Answer: WOMAN
31A. Sandwich whose initials stand for its ingredients
Answer: BLT
32A. Singer Diamond
Answer: NEIL
Down Answers
1D. Flower that blooms in fall
Answer: ASTER
2D. Put a hex on
Answer: CURSE
3D. Home of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Answer: EGYPT
4D. Animal with a hard head
Answer: RAM
5D. Analyzes ... or how to describe the circled bones in the 1st and 8th columns of this puzzle?
Answer: BREAKSDOWN
6D. "Sweet!"
Answer: COOL
7D. Umpire's call with arms stretched out horizontally
Answer: SAFE
8D. Far from certain
Answer: IFFY
15D. "Allez ___ Bleus!" (French sports rallying cry)
Answer: LES
17D. Battery for a wireless mouse, perhaps
Answer: AAA
19D. Savory taste
Answer: UMAMI
20D. Certain public artwork
Answer: MURAL
21D. Garden of Adam and Eve
Answer: EDEN
22D. Like an arm that's asleep
Answer: NUMB
23D. Shape of a rugby ball
Answer: OVAL
24D. Spot to shop
Answer: MART
28D. Weed removal tool
Answer: HOE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 5D, BREAKS DOWN, defines the puzzle because it means “analyzes” while also describing how STERNUM and FEMUR are split into circled pieces in the first and eighth columns. The grammatical reading and the skeletal reading lock together cleanly.
Wordplay Winner: BREAKS DOWN wins the wordplay prize by turning an ordinary synonym for “analyzes” into a literal instruction for reading the divided bone names.
Quick Fill: BLT was the fastest confident fill because its ingredient-based clue leaves no slack, and it fixes the final crossing letters of NUMB, OVAL, and MART.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Bank the unmistakable short entries first. BLT and CSI provide clean crossing support without forcing you to untangle the revealer immediately.
When a long clue signals two definitions, solve the plain definition before decoding the gimmick. Here, treating “analyzes” as the direct route to BREAKS DOWN makes the bone pattern much easier to recognize.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, with sturdy trivia around one memorable reveal. BREAKS DOWN supplied the satisfying final click.
See you at the next grid.
