Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and wordplay gives the trivia a mischievous twist, with a circled-letter clue inviting a closer look. Pull up a chair and enjoy the clues.
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: 29 (14 Across, 15 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 18A is the trickiest clue because it asks for a snack-table breach of etiquette that also explains the circled letters.
Gimme Clue: 2D is a friendly foothold; its Hawaiian flowers point to a specific wearable welcome.
Theme Spotted: "Party Foul!"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Comedian/actress Wong
Hint: 1A points to Wong, the performer known for stand-up comedy and television acting. Three letters, starts with A.
4A. Big galoot
Hint: 4A wants a noun for a lumbering, clumsy person. Three letters, starts with O.
7A. Johnny of 2026's "Ebenezer"
Hint: 7A points to the actor known for playing Captain Jack Sparrow. Four letters, starts with D.
9A. Bamboozle
Hint: 9A wants a verb meaning to deceive someone. Four letters, starts with D.
10A. French fashion designer Christian
Hint: 10A points to the designer behind the French couture house bearing Christian's full name. Four letters, starts with D.
11A. Ready for picking
Hint: 11A describes fruit at the ideal stage for harvesting. Four letters, starts with R.
12A. Palindromic cry similar to "Aha!"
Hint: 12A wants an exclamation of discovery that reads identically in either direction. Three letters, starts with O.
14A. Snacks it's impolite to 18-Across
Hint: 14A points to crisp, salty snacks served beside a communal bowl of salsa. Five letters, starts with C.
16A. Barbecue cook
Hint: 16A wants the person tending food over the barbecue's heat. Seven letters, starts with G.
18A. Snacking faux pas ... or hint to this puzzle's circled letters
Hint: 18A describes returning a bitten snack to a shared bowl of sauce. Nine letters, starts with D.
20A. "Sexy ___ Know It" (2012 #1 hit by LMFAO)
Hint: 20A needs the connecting phrase between the singer's boast and the declaration of knowing it. Four letters, starts with A.
21A. Food that be may be full of barbacoa
Hint: 21A points to a tortilla holding a savory filling. Four letters, starts with T.
22A. Apt rhyme for "greet"
Hint: 22A wants a rhyming verb for coming together with someone. Four letters, starts with M.
23A. Sky fall?
Hint: 23A points to frozen precipitation rather than a film title. Four letters, starts with S.
Down Hints
1D. Do some arithmetic
Hint: 1D wants the arithmetic operation that produces a sum. Three letters, starts with A.
2D. Hawaiian floral necklace
Hint: 2D points to a garland of blossoms worn around the neck. Three letters, starts with L.
3D. Stock market event, for short
Hint: 3D wants the abbreviation for a company's debut sale of shares to the public. Three letters, starts with I.
4D. Jokey response to "Do you only know one French word?"
Hint: 4D asks you to respond affirmatively in French to complete the joke. Three letters, starts with O.
5D. TikTok, e.g.
Hint: 5D wants the kind of software you launch on your phone. Three letters, starts with A.
6D. Service charge
Hint: 6D points to money charged for a service. Three letters, starts with F.
8D. Ban
Hint: 8D wants a verb meaning to forbid something. Eight letters, starts with P.
9D. Sky fall?
Hint: 9D asks you to picture rain as separate beads of water. Eight letters, starts with D.
13D. Where Beltway insiders might work, with "the"
Hint: 13D points to the nickname for the congressional workplace in Washington. Four letters, starts with H.
14D. Unrefined oil
Hint: 14D describes petroleum before refining. Five letters, starts with C.
15D. Many a four-door vehicle
Hint: 15D points to a passenger car with a separate trunk. Five letters, starts with S.
16D. Nowhere to be found
Hint: 16D describes something that is no longer there. Four letters, starts with G.
17D. Puerto ___
Hint: 17D completes the name of the U.S. territory in the Caribbean. Four letters, starts with R.
18D. Reservoir creator
Hint: 18D wants a structure that holds back water. Three letters, starts with D.
19D. [Wham!]
Hint: 19D wants a comic-book punch sound. Three letters, starts with P.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Comedian/actress Wong
Answer: ALI
4A. Big galoot
Answer: OAF
7A. Johnny of 2026's "Ebenezer"
Answer: DEPP
9A. Bamboozle
Answer: DUPE
10A. French fashion designer Christian
Answer: DIOR
11A. Ready for picking
Answer: RIPE
12A. Palindromic cry similar to "Aha!"
Answer: OHO
14A. Snacks it's impolite to 18-Across
Answer: CHIPS
16A. Barbecue cook
Answer: GRILLER
18A. Snacking faux pas ... or hint to this puzzle's circled letters
Answer: DOUBLEDIP
20A. "Sexy ___ Know It" (2012 #1 hit by LMFAO)
Answer: ANDI
21A. Food that be may be full of barbacoa
Answer: TACO
22A. Apt rhyme for "greet"
Answer: MEET
23A. Sky fall?
Answer: SNOW
Down Answers
1D. Do some arithmetic
Answer: ADD
2D. Hawaiian floral necklace
Answer: LEI
3D. Stock market event, for short
Answer: IPO
4D. Jokey response to "Do you only know one French word?"
Answer: OUI
5D. TikTok, e.g.
Answer: APP
6D. Service charge
Answer: FEE
8D. Ban
Answer: PROHIBIT
9D. Sky fall?
Answer: DROPLETS
13D. Where Beltway insiders might work, with "the"
Answer: HILL
14D. Unrefined oil
Answer: CRUDE
15D. Many a four-door vehicle
Answer: SEDAN
16D. Nowhere to be found
Answer: GONE
17D. Puerto ___
Answer: RICO
18D. Reservoir creator
Answer: DAM
19D. [Wham!]
Answer: POW
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 18A's snacking faux pas is DOUBLE DIP, the breach of etiquette that also serves as the circled-letter hint. It defines the puzzle because 14A's CHIPS supplies the snack involved, turning the cross-reference into a concrete little scene.
Wordplay Winner: 4D wins with OUI, the French affirmative that answers the question about knowing only one French word. The answer itself demonstrates the joke, so no extra explanation is needed to make it land.
Quick Fill: 2D's LEI is the fastest confident fill, thanks to the direct Hawaiian floral-necklace clue. Its crossings with ALI at 1A, DEPP at 7A, and DIOR at 10A give the upper-left corner useful footholds for the proper names.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Build the long down entries before tackling the thematic clue. PROHIBIT at 8D and DROPLETS at 9D both cross DOUBLE DIP at 18A, giving that revealer letters from opposite sides of the center.
Treat repeated clue wording as an invitation to consider different meanings. “Sky fall?” yields DROPLETS at 9D and SNOW at 23A, so solve each entry from its crossings instead of forcing the same interpretation.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct definitions provide steady footing, while OUI and DOUBLE DIP reward a closer reading. That mix gives the grid a friendly rhythm with a mischievous finish.
See you at the next grid.
