Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans on crisp trivia, conversational language, and playful name-based wordplay. Settle in, the crossings reward a steady first pass.
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: 30 (16 Across, 14 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 22A is the trickiest clue, since its punctuation asks you to compress a celebrity's name into initials before adding the pictured headwear.
Gimme Clue: 2D is the cleanest gimme, since the metric conversion points directly to a standard imperial unit.
Theme Spotted: "Hat Trick"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. House hunter's bid
Hint: Think of the formal real-estate bid a prospective buyer submits to the seller. Five letters, starts with O.
6A. Hardly any
Hint: The clue wants an amount close to none. Three letters, starts with F.
9A. 2016 Disney film with Samoan song lyrics
Hint: Picture the Disney ocean adventure whose heroine sails with a demigod and whose songs include Samoan lyrics. Five letters, starts with M.
10A. It may be on the chopping block
Hint: Think of the woodcutting tool that belongs near a chopping block. Three letters, starts with A.
11A. Naomi Osaka's visor?
Hint: Read the tennis star's initials, then treat the visor literally in the punctuated-clue construction. Five letters, starts with N.
12A. "Told ya I was right"
Hint: Think of the brief triumphant retort used after events prove your point. Three letters, starts with S.
13A. Pair of celebs
Hint: The clue uses tabloid shorthand for a celebrity pair publicly coupled. Four letters, starts with I.
14A. Affliction for many a war vet, for short
Hint: Look for the familiar abbreviation for a trauma-related disorder associated with combat veterans. Four letters, starts with P.
15A. Mary Oliver's cloche?
Hint: Combine the poet's initials with the headwear named by the clue. Five letters, starts with M.
17A. Car enthusiasts, informally
Hint: Use the informal label for car devotees who obsess over engines and mechanical details. Nine letters, starts with G.
21A. Yiddish cries of dismay
Hint: Think of short Yiddish exclamations uttered when something goes wrong. Three letters, starts with O.
22A. Eva Longoria's beret?
Hint: Use the actor's initials, then add the headwear suggested by the clue. Five letters, starts with E.
23A. Boat that journeyed to Ararat, in the Bible
Hint: Think of Noah's great vessel bound for the mountain named in the clue. Three letters, starts with A.
24A. Justice Kagan
Hint: Identify the Supreme Court justice from the family name given. Five letters, starts with E.
25A. "___ Misérables"
Hint: Recall the French definite article that opens Victor Hugo's famous novel and its hit musical adaptation. Three letters, starts with L.
26A. Weather tracker's tool
Hint: Think of the weather instrument used to detect precipitation and track storm movement. Five letters, starts with R.
Down Hints
1D. Prefix with present or potent
Hint: The same all-encompassing prefix completes compounds meaning present everywhere and all-powerful. Four letters, starts with O.
2D. 0.3048 meters
Hint: Convert the metric measurement into the familiar imperial unit used for height and distance. Four letters, starts with F.
3D. Things worn by umpires and some superheroes
Hint: Think of protective coverings shared by an umpire behind home plate and a disguised comic-book hero. Nine letters, starts with F.
4D. Infatuate
Hint: A verb meaning to make someone fall deeply in love. Six letters, starts with E.
5D. Engage in a battle of words, perhaps?
Hint: Picture a verbal showdown delivered rhythmically, with rivals trading rhymed lines. Three letters, starts with R.
6D. Quick and action-packed
Hint: Look for an adjective describing a thriller that moves briskly and keeps the action coming. Nine letters, starts with F.
7D. Old flames
Hint: These old flames are past romantic partners. Four letters, starts with E.
8D. Unwanted garden growth
Hint: Name the unwanted plant pulled from a garden bed. Four letters, starts with W.
14D. Spanish rice dish
Hint: Think of the saffron-tinted Spanish rice dish traditionally cooked in a broad shallow pan. Six letters, starts with P.
16D. Sport that involves tumbling, jumping and stunting
Hint: The clue points to the competitive sideline discipline built from chants, tumbling, jumps, and stunts. Five letters, starts with C.
17D. "A ___ without a plan is just a wish" (quote attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Hint: The missing noun is an objective that becomes real through planning. Four letters, starts with G.
18D. Jane in a Brontë novel
Hint: Recall the Charlotte Brontë heroine whose first name is Jane. Four letters, starts with E.
19D. Comedian Carvey
Hint: Think of the Saturday Night Live comedian known for the Church Lady and Wayne's World. Four letters, starts with D.
20D. Fight lightly
Hint: Think of light practice fighting rather than full combat. Four letters, starts with S.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. House hunter's bid
Answer: OFFER
6A. Hardly any
Answer: FEW
9A. 2016 Disney film with Samoan song lyrics
Answer: MOANA
10A. It may be on the chopping block
Answer: AXE
11A. Naomi Osaka's visor?
Answer: NOCAP
12A. "Told ya I was right"
Answer: SEE
13A. Pair of celebs
Answer: ITEM
14A. Affliction for many a war vet, for short
Answer: PTSD
15A. Mary Oliver's cloche?
Answer: MOCAP
17A. Car enthusiasts, informally
Answer: GEARHEADS
21A. Yiddish cries of dismay
Answer: OYS
22A. Eva Longoria's beret?
Answer: ELCAP
23A. Boat that journeyed to Ararat, in the Bible
Answer: ARK
24A. Justice Kagan
Answer: ELENA
25A. "___ Misérables"
Answer: LES
26A. Weather tracker's tool
Answer: RADAR
Down Answers
1D. Prefix with present or potent
Answer: OMNI
2D. 0.3048 meters
Answer: FOOT
3D. Things worn by umpires and some superheroes
Answer: FACEMASKS
4D. Infatuate
Answer: ENAMOR
5D. Engage in a battle of words, perhaps?
Answer: RAP
6D. Quick and action-packed
Answer: FASTPACED
7D. Old flames
Answer: EXES
8D. Unwanted garden growth
Answer: WEED
14D. Spanish rice dish
Answer: PAELLA
16D. Sport that involves tumbling, jumping and stunting
Answer: CHEER
17D. "A ___ without a plan is just a wish" (quote attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Answer: GOAL
18D. Jane in a Brontë novel
Answer: EYRE
19D. Comedian Carvey
Answer: DANA
20D. Fight lightly
Answer: SPAR
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 15A MOCAP is the grid's defining clue. Mary Oliver's initials supply MO, the cloche supplies CAP, and the result also reads as familiar shorthand for motion capture.
Wordplay Winner: 11A NOCAP wins the wordplay contest. Naomi Osaka's initials create NO, the visor supplies CAP, and the resulting phrase works as both a literal headwear joke and slang for complete honesty.
Quick Fill: MOANA at 9A is the fastest confident fill because the Disney and Samoan-lyrics details pinpoint the film. It anchors OMNI, FOOT, FACEMASKS, ENAMOR, and RAP through its crossings.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Bank the full-span entries GEARHEADS, FACEMASKS, and FASTPACED once their direct definitions click. Their reach supplies useful letters throughout the grid.
When punctuated clues form a family, solve the shared mechanism before tackling each surface. NOCAP, MOCAP, and ELCAP all pair celebrity initials with CAP, so recognizing one construction unlocks the others.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid balanced clean trivia with lively slang, then let MOCAP make the central pun memorable. Its longer entries kept the crossings fair while the headwear clues supplied the personality.
See you at the next grid.
