Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and a seasonal gimmick brings an extra layer to the trivia and playful definitions. Come on in, and keep an eye on the circled letters.
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: 32 (16 Across, 16 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 3D is the trickiest, because its academic wording invites a formal job title when a more everyday relationship is wanted.
Gimme Clue: 25A is a friendly gimme, drawing on the familiar habit of silencing your microphone during an online meeting.
Theme Spotted: "Raking It In"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Religious offshoot
Hint: Think of a religious group that has split from a larger tradition. Four letters, starts with S.
5A. Propped open, say
Hint: Picture a door with a gap between it and its frame. Four letters, starts with A.
9A. Soccer legend born Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Hint: Think of the Brazilian soccer icon known by a brief sporting name. Four letters, starts with P.
10A. Bob who lost to Clinton in 1996
Hint: Recall Clinton's Republican opponent in the presidential election named in the clue. Four letters, starts with D.
11A. Dessert topped with caramel sauce
Hint: Picture a smooth custard turned out onto a plate beneath its caramel topping. Four letters, starts with F.
12A. Not able to hear
Hint: The adjective describes someone without hearing. Four letters, starts with D.
13A. Stitches up
Hint: Think of what someone does with a needle and thread. Four letters, starts with S.
15A. Fusilli, farfalle or fregula
Hint: The listed foods belong to the same Italian staple. Five letters, starts with P.
17A. Closest bud, in brief
Hint: Use texting shorthand for your closest friend. Three letters, starts with B.
20A. "Bread" dispenser
Hint: Read bread as slang for money, then picture a machine that gives it out. Three letters, starts with A.
21A. Like bread used to make stuffing
Hint: Think about bread that has lost its freshness. Five letters, starts with S.
23A. Seasonal buildups kids may jump into ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled letters
Hint: Picture what raking gathers in an autumn yard. Nine letters, starts with L.
25A. Online meeting button pushed when sneezing, perhaps
Hint: Choose the control that keeps your microphone from broadcasting a sneeze. Four letters, starts with M.
26A. See 14-Down
Hint: Follow 14D to the papery home built by the creature described there. Four letters, starts with N.
27A. Zipped along
Hint: Use a past-tense verb for moving quickly. Four letters, starts with S.
28A. One shade of gray
Hint: Think of the powdery residue left after a fire. Three letters, starts with A.
Down Hints
1D. Beach bottle letters
Hint: Look for the label abbreviation beside a sunscreen's protection rating. Three letters, starts with S.
2D. Slithery swimmer
Hint: Picture a fish with a long, snakelike body. Three letters, starts with E.
3D. Research fellow?
Hint: The question mark points toward someone studying alongside you. Nine letters, starts with C.
4D. 2020 Christopher Nolan film with a palindromic title
Hint: Think of Nolan's time-inversion thriller, whose title reads identically in reverse. Five letters, starts with T.
5D. Puts two and two together, say
Hint: Take the arithmetic literally rather than treating the phrase as deduction. Four letters, starts with A.
6D. QB Burrow
Hint: Supply the given name of the quarterback identified in the clue. Three letters, starts with J.
7D. Pie ___ mode
Hint: Complete the menu phrase for pie served with ice cream. Three letters, starts with A.
8D. Whistle blower
Hint: Think of a sports official making a call, using the shortened job name. Three letters, starts with R.
14D. Insect that may live in a basketball-sized 26-Across
Hint: Think of a flying stinger that builds a papery home. Four letters, starts with W.
15D. Trees common in Miami's South Beach neighborhood
Hint: Picture the tropical trees with fronds along Miami's beachfront. Five letters, starts with P.
16D. Inhaled, so to speak
Hint: Here, inhaling means consuming food with enthusiasm. Five letters, starts with A.
17D. Bundles of hay
Hint: Picture tightly bound packages stacked in a barn. Five letters, starts with B.
18D. ___ and blood (kin)
Hint: Complete the bodily phrase used to describe your own relatives. Five letters, starts with F.
19D. Suffix with snooze or gab
Hint: The ending is a short word for a festival, and it joins either opening word to form a casual compound. Four letters, starts with F.
22D. Actress Fey
Hint: Think of the actress and comedy writer behind 30 Rock. Four letters, starts with T.
24D. Org. headed by Kevin Warsh, with "the"
Hint: Use the short name for the U.S. central bank. Three letters, starts with F.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Religious offshoot
Answer: SECT
5A. Propped open, say
Answer: AJAR
9A. Soccer legend born Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Answer: PELE
10A. Bob who lost to Clinton in 1996
Answer: DOLE
11A. Dessert topped with caramel sauce
Answer: FLAN
12A. Not able to hear
Answer: DEAF
13A. Stitches up
Answer: SEWS
15A. Fusilli, farfalle or fregula
Answer: PASTA
17A. Closest bud, in brief
Answer: BFF
20A. "Bread" dispenser
Answer: ATM
21A. Like bread used to make stuffing
Answer: STALE
23A. Seasonal buildups kids may jump into ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled letters
Answer: LEAFPILES
25A. Online meeting button pushed when sneezing, perhaps
Answer: MUTE
26A. See 14-Down
Answer: NEST
27A. Zipped along
Answer: SPED
28A. One shade of gray
Answer: ASH
Down Answers
1D. Beach bottle letters
Answer: SPF
2D. Slithery swimmer
Answer: EEL
3D. Research fellow?
Answer: CLASSMATE
4D. 2020 Christopher Nolan film with a palindromic title
Answer: TENET
5D. Puts two and two together, say
Answer: ADDS
6D. QB Burrow
Answer: JOE
7D. Pie ___ mode
Answer: ALA
8D. Whistle blower
Answer: REF
14D. Insect that may live in a basketball-sized 26-Across
Answer: WASP
15D. Trees common in Miami's South Beach neighborhood
Answer: PALMS
16D. Inhaled, so to speak
Answer: ATEUP
17D. Bundles of hay
Answer: BALES
18D. ___ and blood (kin)
Answer: FLESH
19D. Suffix with snooze or gab
Answer: FEST
22D. Actress Fey
Answer: TINA
24D. Org. headed by Kevin Warsh, with "the"
Answer: FED
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 23A, "Seasonal buildups kids may jump into ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled letters", earns its centerpiece role with LEAFPILES. The answer supplies a vivid autumn image while the clue gives it another job as a guide to the circled letters.
Wordplay Winner: 3D, "Research fellow?", wins with CLASSMATE. The formal academic title becomes a playful description of a fellow student, with the question mark signaling the shift.
Quick Fill: 15A, PASTA, is a confident foothold because fusilli, farfalle and fregula all point directly to it. Its crossings with PALMS, ATEUP, CLASSMATE, TENET and WASP give that straightforward fill useful reach.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Use punctuation to choose your reading before hunting synonyms. The quotation marks around bread at 20A steer toward money and ATM, while the question mark at 3D opens the door to CLASSMATE.
Read linked clues together before treating either as a standalone problem. Here, 14D and 26A resolve into WASP and NEST, so identifying the creature also narrows its home.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct definitions give this grid a welcoming rhythm, while CLASSMATE rewards a flexible reading. LEAFPILES adds the seasonal image that makes the finish feel timely.
See you at the next grid.