Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans on crisp trivia, conversational shorthand, and a few playful clue surfaces without committing to a larger gimmick. Settle in for a friendly grid with some satisfying resistance.
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 (15 Across, 15 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 12A is the toughest clue because recognizing a specific news podcast requires knowledge beyond ordinary vocabulary, while its title can look like a generic instruction.
Gimme Clue: 20A is the clearest gimme because the underground storage structure of a tulip is standard garden vocabulary.
Theme Spotted: "Vowel Play"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. "Adorbs!"
Hint: Think of the soft, affectionate reaction prompted by something irresistibly cute. Three letters, starts with A.
4A. Equality-seeking civil rights figure, for short
Hint: Use the familiar initials of the reverend who became a defining leader of the American civil rights movement. Three letters, starts with M.
7A. Arrive on the airport runway
Hint: Picture the moment an airplane touches the runway after its approach. Four letters, starts with L.
9A. Espied
Hint: The clue wants a compact past-tense synonym for having spotted something. Four letters, starts with S.
10A. Actress Jessica of "Sin City"
Hint: Think of the actor who portrayed Nancy Callahan in the film named by the clue. Four letters, starts with A.
11A. Early inhabitants of what is now Canada
Hint: Look for the name of an Indigenous people whose traditional territory extends across parts of present-day Canada. Four letters, starts with C.
12A. ABC News's flagship podcast since 2018
Hint: The podcast title doubles as an instruction directing a newcomer to the first step. Nine letters, starts with S.
14A. "It ain't over ___ it's over!"
Hint: Supply the colloquial contraction of “until” that completes the familiar saying. Three letters, starts with T.
15A. Often-glazed pastries with a portmanteau name
Hint: Blend the names of a croissant and a doughnut to identify these glazed hybrid pastries. Seven letters, starts with C.
19A. Old English sheepdog sound
Hint: Write the familiar bark associated with a large, shaggy dog. Four letters, starts with W.
20A. Underground part of a tulip
Hint: Name the rounded underground storage organ from which a tulip grows. Four letters, starts with B.
22A. Ox's foot
Hint: Think of the hard, keratin-covered structure at the end of an ox’s leg. Four letters, starts with H.
23A. Unsafe material to view on a work computer, perhaps
Hint: The workplace warning points toward explicit or indecent material rather than malware. Four letters, starts with S.
24A. "Oh, sure" and "Go right ahead"
Hint: Both quoted phrases grant permission, so use a pluralized form of an informal approval. Three letters, starts with O.
25A. Univ. applicants, typically
Hint: Think of students in their final year of high school, expressed in abbreviated form. Three letters, starts with S.
Down Hints
1D. "Ah, so it goes"
Hint: Look for a compact exclamation of resignation or regret. Four letters, starts with A.
2D. Animation pioneer Disney
Hint: Think of the animation pioneer behind Mickey Mouse and the entertainment company bearing his family name. Four letters, starts with W.
3D. Atlanta Dream's org.
Hint: The Atlanta Dream compete in the leading American women’s professional basketball league, and the grid wants its initials. Four letters, starts with W.
4D. Ever so slight
Hint: Use an adjective meaning no more than, or insignificant in extent. Four letters, starts with M.
5D. Eye creepily, with "at"
Hint: This verb describes staring in an unpleasantly suggestive or menacing way. Four letters, starts with L.
6D. Elbow's counterpart below the waist
Hint: Name the bending leg joint that mirrors the elbow’s general position on an arm. Four letters, starts with K.
8D. Abruptly run away
Hint: Use a brisk phrasal verb for suddenly bolting from a place. Seven letters, starts with D.
9D. Empty-headed oafs, from the Yiddish
Hint: The clue seeks a plural Yiddish-derived insult for foolish, unkempt, or inept people. Seven letters, starts with S.
13D. Its symbol is Sn
Hint: Decode Sn by recalling the chemical element represented by that symbol. Three letters, starts with T.
15D. One whose job yields mixed results?
Hint: Read “mixed results” literally and picture the worker who combines ingredients for a living. Four letters, starts with C.
16D. Outback hoppers, for short
Hint: Use the casual clipped term for the marsupials famous for hopping across the Australian interior. Four letters, starts with R.
17D. Upset stomach reliever
Hint: Think of the familiar chalky antacid brand used for heartburn and indigestion. Four letters, starts with T.
18D. Utter incoherently, as speech
Hint: The verb describes running speech sounds together so that the words lose clarity. Four letters, starts with S.
19D. Owl's question?
Hint: Render the owl’s familiar call as an ordinary question word. Three letters, starts with W.
21D. "UGH!" K-pop band
Hint: Think of the globally known South Korean group whose repertoire includes the song named in the clue, then use its standard abbreviation. Three letters, starts with B.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. "Adorbs!"
Answer: AWW
4A. Equality-seeking civil rights figure, for short
Answer: MLK
7A. Arrive on the airport runway
Answer: LAND
9A. Espied
Answer: SEEN
10A. Actress Jessica of "Sin City"
Answer: ALBA
11A. Early inhabitants of what is now Canada
Answer: CREE
12A. ABC News's flagship podcast since 2018
Answer: STARTHERE
14A. "It ain't over ___ it's over!"
Answer: TIL
15A. Often-glazed pastries with a portmanteau name
Answer: CRONUTS
19A. Old English sheepdog sound
Answer: WOOF
20A. Underground part of a tulip
Answer: BULB
22A. Ox's foot
Answer: HOOF
23A. Unsafe material to view on a work computer, perhaps
Answer: SMUT
24A. "Oh, sure" and "Go right ahead"
Answer: OKS
25A. Univ. applicants, typically
Answer: SRS
Down Answers
1D. "Ah, so it goes"
Answer: ALAS
2D. Animation pioneer Disney
Answer: WALT
3D. Atlanta Dream's org.
Answer: WNBA
4D. Ever so slight
Answer: MERE
5D. Eye creepily, with "at"
Answer: LEER
6D. Elbow's counterpart below the waist
Answer: KNEE
8D. Abruptly run away
Answer: DARTOFF
9D. Empty-headed oafs, from the Yiddish
Answer: SCHLUBS
13D. Its symbol is Sn
Answer: TIN
15D. One whose job yields mixed results?
Answer: COOK
16D. Outback hoppers, for short
Answer: ROOS
17D. Upset stomach reliever
Answer: TUMS
18D. Utter incoherently, as speech
Answer: SLUR
19D. Owl's question?
Answer: WHO
21D. "UGH!" K-pop band
Answer: BTS
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 12A, “ABC News’s flagship podcast since 2018,” yields STARTHERE. It defines the grid because the answer spans the only full-width nine-letter row in the grid and reads like a playful instruction to the solver.
Wordplay Winner: 15D wins the wordplay prize with COOK. “One whose job yields mixed results?” turns “mixed” into a literal description of combining ingredients while presenting the surface as an assessment of uneven performance.
Quick Fill: TIN at 13D is the fastest confident fill because Sn maps directly to the element. Its crossings lock the center through STARTHERE, TIL, and CRONUTS.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Convert direct abbreviations immediately: MLK, WNBA, SRS, and BTS produce useful crossing letters with little ambiguity.
When a long title resists recall, solve through its plain-language surface. STARTHERE behaves like an everyday instruction, while CRONUTS can be built by blending two familiar pastry names, as the clue's portmanteau hint signals.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, balancing direct vocabulary with sharper trivia and a few lively joke clues. STARTHERE gave the center a memorable spark without turning the puzzle into a themed construction.
See you at the next grid.
