Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and a trivia-rich grid with crisp wordplay and a playful starred-entry revealer offers a lively solve. Settle in and let the cleanest crossings open the longer lanes.
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: 10A is the trickiest clue because its geographical wording demands a less familiar abbreviation than the standard postal form.
Gimme Clue: 23A is the clearest gimme, pairing a familiar skin-care remedy with an especially direct clue.
Theme Spotted: "Sugar Crash"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Bear whose porridge was too cold in "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
Hint: Think of the member of the bear family whose serving had gone cold. Four letters, starts with M.
5A. Tofu makeup
Hint: Name the plant protein source that forms tofu's base. Three letters, starts with S.
8A. Glazer of "Broad City"
Hint: Think of the actor and comedian who co-created and starred in "Broad City" alongside Abbi Jacobson. Five letters, starts with I.
10A. Only state located entirely within Appalachia, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission: Abbr.
Hint: Compress the name of the Appalachian state requested by the clue, but do not use its standard postal abbreviation. Three letters, starts with W.
11A. Big tourist attraction in Rome
Hint: Picture Rome's enormous ancient amphitheater, famous for gladiatorial contests. Nine letters, starts with C.
13A. Capital of Georgia, for short
Hint: Use the familiar shortened form of Georgia's capital city. Three letters, starts with A.
14A. "Ten ___ or fewer" (grammatically correct grocery store sign)
Hint: The missing noun must be countable, which is why the sign correctly uses "fewer." Five letters, starts with I.
15A. Genre of some mind-boggling drawings
Hint: Look for the visual-art genre built around optical illusions and vibrating patterns. Five letters, starts with O.
17A. Major-___ (big shot)
Hint: Complete the hyphenated term for a chief steward or an important person. Four letters, starts with D.
19A. Concludes
Hint: Use a present-tense synonym for brings to a close. Four letters, starts with E.
22A. Mouth-related
Hint: The clue seeks an adjective associated with the mouth or spoken delivery. Four letters, starts with O.
23A. Sunburn soother
Hint: Think of the cooling gel commonly applied after too much sun exposure. Four letters, starts with A.
24A. Actress Polo of "Meet the Parents"
Hint: Think of the actress who played Pam Byrnes in "Meet the Parents." Four letters, starts with T.
25A. Relocate
Hint: Use the everyday verb for changing residence or shifting something elsewhere. Four letters, starts with M.
26A. "Send help!"
Hint: Think of the classic international distress call used when urgent assistance is needed. Three letters, starts with S.
27A. Director Craven
Hint: Think of the horror filmmaker behind "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream." Three letters, starts with W.
Down Hints
1D. Flaky mineral
Hint: This mineral cleaves easily into thin, shiny sheets. Four letters, starts with M.
2D. Tons and tons
Hint: The clue wants an informal phrase meaning a great deal, entered without its usual space. Four letters, starts with A.
3D. *S'mores-like cookies sold seasonally
Hint: Picture chocolate-coated marshmallow cookies with a graham-style base and seasonal availability. Nine letters, starts with M.
4D. "That's ___-brainer!"
Hint: Complete the familiar expression for an obvious choice or effortless decision. Three letters, starts with A.
5D. Additive that comes in small pink packets ... or an apt description of the answers to the starred clues?
Hint: Identify the sweetener sold in pink packets, then read its brand name as a literal description of the starred entries. Nine letters, starts with S.
6D. Egg cell
Hint: Use the formal biological term for a female reproductive cell. Four letters, starts with O.
7D. Orange Thanksgiving dish
Hint: Think of the orange tubers commonly served as a sweet Thanksgiving side dish. Four letters, starts with Y.
9D. Continent that's home to three of the New Seven Wonders of the World
Hint: Locate Petra, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall on the same continent. Four letters, starts with A.
12D. Broadcast live on the internet, say
Hint: Use the verb for transmitting live video or audio over the internet. Six letters, starts with S.
16D. ___ sci (college major, in brief)
Hint: Supply the usual shortened form of the field that studies government and political systems. Four letters, starts with P.
17D. *Fruity gumdrop candy
Hint: Think of the branded gumdrops whose simple plural name evokes their rounded shape. Four letters, starts with D.
18D. *Treat advertised as "Milk's favorite cookie"
Hint: The famous milk slogan points to an iconic black-and-white sandwich cookie. Four letters, starts with O.
20D. *Ice cream bar brand
Hint: Think of the chocolate brand whose name is also a gentle white bird. Four letters, starts with D.
21D. *Company known for its boxes of chocolates
Hint: The target is the confectioner whose possessive brand name appears on assorted-chocolate boxes. 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. Bear whose porridge was too cold in "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
Answer: MAMA
5A. Tofu makeup
Answer: SOY
8A. Glazer of "Broad City"
Answer: ILANA
10A. Only state located entirely within Appalachia, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission: Abbr.
Answer: WVA
11A. Big tourist attraction in Rome
Answer: COLOSSEUM
13A. Capital of Georgia, for short
Answer: ATL
14A. "Ten ___ or fewer" (grammatically correct grocery store sign)
Answer: ITEMS
15A. Genre of some mind-boggling drawings
Answer: OPART
17A. Major-___ (big shot)
Answer: DOMO
19A. Concludes
Answer: ENDS
22A. Mouth-related
Answer: ORAL
23A. Sunburn soother
Answer: ALOE
24A. Actress Polo of "Meet the Parents"
Answer: TERI
25A. Relocate
Answer: MOVE
26A. "Send help!"
Answer: SOS
27A. Director Craven
Answer: WES
Down Answers
1D. Flaky mineral
Answer: MICA
2D. Tons and tons
Answer: ALOT
3D. *S'mores-like cookies sold seasonally
Answer: MALLOMARS
4D. "That's ___-brainer!"
Answer: ANO
5D. Additive that comes in small pink packets ... or an apt description of the answers to the starred clues?
Answer: SWEETNLOW
6D. Egg cell
Answer: OVUM
7D. Orange Thanksgiving dish
Answer: YAMS
9D. Continent that's home to three of the New Seven Wonders of the World
Answer: ASIA
12D. Broadcast live on the internet, say
Answer: STREAM
16D. ___ sci (college major, in brief)
Answer: POLI
17D. *Fruity gumdrop candy
Answer: DOTS
18D. *Treat advertised as "Milk's favorite cookie"
Answer: OREO
20D. *Ice cream bar brand
Answer: DOVE
21D. *Company known for its boxes of chocolates
Answer: SEES
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 5D, SWEETNLOW, defines the puzzle because the starred answers MALLOMARS, DOTS, OREO, DOVE, and SEES are all sweets entered in the Down direction. The familiar sweetener brand turns that shared placement into a compact positional pun.
Wordplay Winner: SWEETNLOW wins the wordplay prize. Its surface describes a packet sweetener, while its second reading points to sweet brands traveling downward through the grid.
Quick Fill: ALOE at 23A is the fastest confident fill because the direct sunburn clue immediately supports STREAM, SWEETNLOW, DOVE, and SEES at its crossings.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Attack the full-width COLOSSEUM first when a long landmark clue is this direct. Its letters stabilize MICA, ALOT, MALLOMARS, ANO, ASIA, STREAM, SWEETNLOW, OVUM, and YAMS in one pass.
When a revealer describes both meaning and placement, scan every starred entry in that direction. Here, recognizing the sweet Down set makes MALLOMARS and the shorter brand names much easier to confirm from crossings.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, offering sturdy trivia anchors before landing the SWEETNLOW reveal. Its best flourish was a theme that became clearer through both vocabulary and direction.
See you at the next grid.
