Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans into crisp trivia, playful phrasing, and a compact phonetic twist without making the grid feel fussy. Settle in and enjoy the mix.
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 (17 Across, 15 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 14A is the trickiest clue because its billiards definition doubles as the key to a sound-based pattern elsewhere in the grid.
Gimme Clue: 4D is the cleanest gimme because the clue tells you to find a palindromic name directly inside the quoted word.
Theme Spotted: "Quick Start"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. ___ mater
Hint: The blank completes the Latin expression for one's former school. Four letters, starts with A.
5A. Spot for a sauna, salon and steam room
Hint: Think of a wellness retreat offering heat, beauty treatments, and relaxation under one roof. Three letters, starts with S.
8A. Grassy college courtyard
Hint: Picture the open lawn enclosed by buildings on a college campus. Four letters, starts with Q.
9A. British pound, informally
Hint: Reach for British slang rather than the formal currency name. Four letters, starts with Q.
10A. Bone connecting the wrist and elbow
Hint: Name the forearm bone running along the pinkie-finger side. Four letters, starts with U.
11A. Like most yard sale items
Hint: Their condition is secondhand rather than factory-new. Four letters, starts with U.
12A. Boxer Muhammad
Hint: The clue points to the legendary heavyweight boxer who called himself The Greatest. Three letters, starts with A.
13A. Medical research agcy.
Hint: Think of the abbreviated U.S. federal agency devoted to biomedical research. Three letters, starts with N.
14A. Targets of pool chalk ... or a phonetic hint to the starts of 8-, 9-, 25- and 26-Across and 9-Down
Hint: In billiards, chalk is applied to the narrow ends of the sticks. Then listen to that phrase aloud for the clue's second layer. Seven letters, starts with C.
18A. Hits the mall
Hint: Picture what someone does while visiting stores at a mall. Five letters, starts with S.
20A. "Mamma ___!"
Hint: Complete the title of the ABBA jukebox musical and film. Three letters, starts with M.
21A. Jabba the ___, "Star Wars" villain
Hint: Recall the name attached to the sluglike Star Wars crime lord Jabba. Four letters, starts with H.
22A. Airline ticket add-ons
Hint: Think of extra charges for baggage, seat selection, or other airline services. Four letters, starts with F.
23A. Voice above tenor
Hint: Choose the lower female choral range positioned immediately above tenor. Four letters, starts with A.
24A. Animals that can lift up to 50 times their body weight
Hint: These tiny colony insects are renowned for carrying loads up to 50 times their own body weight. Four letters, starts with A.
25A. Witticism
Hint: Think of a short, clever remark delivered for comic effect. Four letters, starts with Q.
26A. Platform for unloading cargo ships
Hint: Picture a landing built along navigable water where vessels load and unload cargo. Four letters, starts with Q.
Down Hints
1D. Blue-green hue
Hint: Look between blue and green on a color chart, toward the tint associated with clear tropical water. Four letters, starts with A.
2D. Temporary slow period
Hint: Think of a brief pause or quiet stretch in an otherwise active period. Four letters, starts with L.
3D. Large tube-shaped pasta often stuffed with cheese
Hint: Picture broad tubular Italian pasta designed to hold a rich cheese filling. Nine letters, starts with M.
4D. Palindromic name hidden in "Ramadan"
Hint: Scan the latter half of the quoted word for a name that reads identically in both directions. Three letters, starts with A.
5D. List that may include maki and nigiri
Hint: Think of the printed list a diner consults when choosing maki, nigiri, and other Japanese dishes. Nine letters, starts with S.
6D. ___ in the sky
Hint: Complete the familiar idiom for an unrealistic dream or promise. Three letters, starts with P.
7D. Hit "+"
Hint: Treat the symbol as a calculator button and name the operation it performs. Three letters, starts with A.
9D. Leave a job for good
Hint: Use the blunt verb for resigning from a position permanently. Four letters, starts with Q.
13D. The Legend of Zelda console, in brief
Hint: Think of Nintendo's early home console and use its standard abbreviated name. Three letters, starts with N.
15D. "Gimme five!"
Hint: Picture the speaker raising a hand and inviting a celebratory slap. Five letters, starts with U.
16D. Michelangelo masterpiece in St. Peter's Basilica
Hint: Name Michelangelo's marble sculpture of Mary holding the body of Jesus in St. Peter's Basilica. Five letters, starts with P.
17D. Full of 'tude
Hint: Look for an adjective meaning boldly cheeky or full of attitude. Five letters, starts with S.
18D. Kobe's longtime teammate on the Lakers, familiarly
Hint: Think of the towering Lakers center known by a familiar one-syllable nickname. Four letters, starts with S.
19D. Streaming service with "Only Murders in the Building"
Hint: Think of the streaming platform that carries Only Murders in the Building. Four letters, starts with H.
22D. Website's help section, for short
Hint: The abbreviation expands to a website list addressing recurring user questions. 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. ___ mater
Answer: ALMA
5A. Spot for a sauna, salon and steam room
Answer: SPA
8A. Grassy college courtyard
Answer: QUAD
9A. British pound, informally
Answer: QUID
10A. Bone connecting the wrist and elbow
Answer: ULNA
11A. Like most yard sale items
Answer: USED
12A. Boxer Muhammad
Answer: ALI
13A. Medical research agcy.
Answer: NIH
14A. Targets of pool chalk ... or a phonetic hint to the starts of 8-, 9-, 25- and 26-Across and 9-Down
Answer: CUETIPS
18A. Hits the mall
Answer: SHOPS
20A. "Mamma ___!"
Answer: MIA
21A. Jabba the ___, "Star Wars" villain
Answer: HUTT
22A. Airline ticket add-ons
Answer: FEES
23A. Voice above tenor
Answer: ALTO
24A. Animals that can lift up to 50 times their body weight
Answer: ANTS
25A. Witticism
Answer: QUIP
26A. Platform for unloading cargo ships
Answer: QUAY
Down Answers
1D. Blue-green hue
Answer: AQUA
2D. Temporary slow period
Answer: LULL
3D. Large tube-shaped pasta often stuffed with cheese
Answer: MANICOTTI
4D. Palindromic name hidden in "Ramadan"
Answer: ADA
5D. List that may include maki and nigiri
Answer: SUSHIMENU
6D. ___ in the sky
Answer: PIE
7D. Hit "+"
Answer: ADD
9D. Leave a job for good
Answer: QUIT
13D. The Legend of Zelda console, in brief
Answer: NES
15D. "Gimme five!"
Answer: UPTOP
16D. Michelangelo masterpiece in St. Peter's Basilica
Answer: PIETA
17D. Full of 'tude
Answer: SASSY
18D. Kobe's longtime teammate on the Lakers, familiarly
Answer: SHAQ
19D. Streaming service with "Only Murders in the Building"
Answer: HULU
22D. Website's help section, for short
Answer: FAQ
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 14A, CUETIPS, defines today's puzzle because it works literally as the ends of pool cues and aurally as “Q tips.” That sound points directly to the QU openings of QUAD, QUID, QUIP, QUAY, and QUIT.
Wordplay Winner: 15D wins the wordplay prize with UPTOP. “Gimme five!” sounds like a request for a number, but the answer is the location cue accompanying a raised-hand slap.
Quick Fill: 4D, ADA, is the fastest confident fill because it sits visibly inside RAMADAN and supplies crossing letters to ALMA, QUAD, and ULNA.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Scan hidden-word clues before reaching for trivia. ADA can be lifted directly from RAMADAN, giving immediate support to three Across entries.
When a revealer points to entry beginnings, enter the repeated pattern as soon as it becomes clear. CUETIPS confirms the QU openings in QUAD, QUID, QUIP, QUAY, and QUIT, turning scattered crossings into a coordinated sweep.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, pairing direct trivia with a compact sound trick that rewarded attention. CUETIPS gave the whole construction a neat snap at the center.
See you at the next grid.
