Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and a sound-based theme gives the sports references and everyday clues an extra wink. Come on in and listen closely as the connections emerge.
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: 11x9
Total Clues: 37 (17 Across, 20 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 22A is the trickiest clue because it asks you to connect an ancient wardrobe staple with a spoken description of other entries.
Gimme Clue: 28A is the easiest foothold, a direct request for a familiar barnyard sound.
Theme Spotted: "Double-Teamed"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Michael Jordan, notably
Hint: 1A points to Jordan's Chicago basketball affiliation. Four letters, starts with B.
5A. China shop menace, in a saying
Hint: 5A evokes a large, horned animal surrounded by fragile crockery. Four letters, starts with B.
9A. "Catch you on the flippity flip, Françoise!"
Hint: 9A uses the addressee's French name to steer a playful farewell into another language. Five letters, starts with A.
11A. Blender setting for making applesauce
Hint: 11A calls for the setting that processes cooked fruit into a smooth consistency. Five letters, starts with P.
12A. Coating used by violin players
Hint: 12A is the substance rubbed onto bow hair to help it grip the strings. Five letters, starts with R.
13A. Building wing
Hint: 13A means an addition that supplies extra space beside a main structure. Five letters, starts with A.
14A. ___ profiling (lab technique)
Hint: 14A concerns genetic material used for identification in a laboratory. Three letters, starts with D.
15A. Lively spirit
Hint: 15A wants a compact synonym for energy and enthusiasm. Three letters, starts with P.
17A. Some biblical stories ... or, homophonically, a description of 1- and 5-Across
Hint: 17A asks for stories that teach moral lessons. Then say the answer aloud to hear how it describes the referenced entries. Eight letters, starts with P.
22A. Simple Roman garments ... or, homophonically, a description of 26- and 29-Across
Hint: 22A points to loose garments worn in ancient Rome. Its extra instruction asks you to say the answer aloud as a description of the referenced entries. Six letters, starts with T.
25A. What the floor is, in a children's game
Hint: 25A imagines the ground as molten volcanic material, so furniture becomes a refuge. Four letters, starts with L.
26A. Jalen Brunson, notably
Hint: 26A seeks Brunson's New York basketball affiliation. Five letters, starts with K.
27A. Peaceful type of protest
Hint: 27A describes a demonstration in which participants occupy a location while seated. Five letters, starts with S.
28A. Pig squeals
Hint: 28A wants written imitations of the noises from a pigpen. Five letters, starts with O.
29A. "The ___" (Clive Owen medical drama set in N.Y.C.)
Hint: 29A points to the hospital drama starring Clive Owen as surgeon John Thackery. Five letters, starts with K.
30A. Command to a dog
Hint: 30A tells a pet to hold its position. Four letters, starts with S.
31A. "You ___ seen nothin' yet!"
Hint: 31A needs an informal negative contraction that matches the sentence's conversational grammar. Four letters, starts with A.
Down Hints
1D. Teller of tales
Hint: 1D suggests a traditional poet who recounts heroic stories. Four letters, starts with B.
2D. Japanese noodle often served with tempura
Hint: 2D points to thick, chewy Japanese wheat noodles. Four letters, starts with U.
3D. Maggie's big sis on "The Simpsons"
Hint: 3D is the saxophone-playing daughter in Springfield's animated family. Four letters, starts with L.
4D. Souvenir from Hawaii
Hint: 4D is a floral garland worn around the neck. Three letters, starts with L.
5D. What ramen substitutes for in a ramen burger
Hint: 5D asks which bread component gives way to shaped noodles around the patty. Three letters, starts with B.
6D. Large vase
Hint: 6D suggests a substantial ornamental vessel, often with a pedestal base. Three letters, starts with U.
7D. Actor/martial artist Bruce
Hint: 7D points to the martial arts star of Enter the Dragon. Three letters, starts with L.
8D. Comics villain Luthor
Hint: 8D is Superman's archfoe, a wealthy schemer whose intellect drives his plots. Three letters, starts with L.
10D. Empties, as a suitcase
Hint: 10D describes removing clothes and belongings after arriving at a destination. Seven letters, starts with U.
11D. Smurf with a beard
Hint: 11D is the red-hatted elder who guides the blue village. Four letters, starts with P.
16D. Hosp. spots for triaging
Hint: 16D wants abbreviated hospital locations where urgent cases are assessed. Three letters, starts with E.
17D. Choosy
Hint: 17D describes someone who rejects options unless they meet exact preferences. Five letters, starts with P.
18D. Russian pancakes
Hint: 18D refers to Russian pancakes often served with sour cream or caviar. Five letters, starts with B.
19D. Like "carpe diem," but not "YOLO"
Hint: 19D asks about the language of the classical expression, rather than its seize-the-day sentiment. Five letters, starts with L.
20D. Kick out, as a tenant
Hint: 20D describes formally forcing a renter to leave a property. Five letters, starts with E.
21D. Plummeted into the abyss, say
Hint: 21D needs a past-tense verb for descending beneath the surface. Four letters, starts with S.
22D. Some boxing match outcomes, in brief
Hint: 22D wants abbreviated results recorded when a boxing bout is stopped because a fighter cannot safely continue. Four letters, starts with T.
23D. The "U" of B.T.U.
Hint: 23D asks for the measurement noun at the end of the heat-related abbreviation. Four letters, starts with U.
24D. Singer/civil rights activist Simone
Hint: 24D identifies the vocalist and pianist associated with Feeling Good and Mississippi Goddam. Four letters, starts with N.
27D. Cousin of reggae
Hint: 27D points to a Jamaican music genre with an upbeat offbeat rhythm and prominent brass. Three letters, starts with S.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Michael Jordan, notably
Answer: BULL
5A. China shop menace, in a saying
Answer: BULL
9A. "Catch you on the flippity flip, Françoise!"
Answer: ADIEU
11A. Blender setting for making applesauce
Answer: PUREE
12A. Coating used by violin players
Answer: ROSIN
13A. Building wing
Answer: ANNEX
14A. ___ profiling (lab technique)
Answer: DNA
15A. Lively spirit
Answer: PEP
17A. Some biblical stories ... or, homophonically, a description of 1- and 5-Across
Answer: PARABLES
22A. Simple Roman garments ... or, homophonically, a description of 26- and 29-Across
Answer: TUNICS
25A. What the floor is, in a children's game
Answer: LAVA
26A. Jalen Brunson, notably
Answer: KNICK
27A. Peaceful type of protest
Answer: SITIN
28A. Pig squeals
Answer: OINKS
29A. "The ___" (Clive Owen medical drama set in N.Y.C.)
Answer: KNICK
30A. Command to a dog
Answer: STAY
31A. "You ___ seen nothin' yet!"
Answer: AINT
Down Answers
1D. Teller of tales
Answer: BARD
2D. Japanese noodle often served with tempura
Answer: UDON
3D. Maggie's big sis on "The Simpsons"
Answer: LISA
4D. Souvenir from Hawaii
Answer: LEI
5D. What ramen substitutes for in a ramen burger
Answer: BUN
6D. Large vase
Answer: URN
7D. Actor/martial artist Bruce
Answer: LEE
8D. Comics villain Luthor
Answer: LEX
10D. Empties, as a suitcase
Answer: UNPACKS
11D. Smurf with a beard
Answer: PAPA
16D. Hosp. spots for triaging
Answer: ERS
17D. Choosy
Answer: PICKY
18D. Russian pancakes
Answer: BLINI
19D. Like "carpe diem," but not "YOLO"
Answer: LATIN
20D. Kick out, as a tenant
Answer: EVICT
21D. Plummeted into the abyss, say
Answer: SANK
22D. Some boxing match outcomes, in brief
Answer: TKOS
23D. The "U" of B.T.U.
Answer: UNIT
24D. Singer/civil rights activist Simone
Answer: NINA
27D. Cousin of reggae
Answer: SKA
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 17A defines the puzzle with PARABLES, biblical teaching stories that sound like “pair of bulls.” The BULL entries at 1A and 5A make that spoken description literal, linking a basketball identity with a china-shop menace.
Wordplay Winner: 22A wins with TUNICS, which sounds like “two Knicks.” KNICK appears at both 26A and 29A, but the clues reach it through basketball and a medical drama, giving the repeated fill different identities.
Quick Fill: 7D, LEE, is a confident fill from the Bruce reference. It supplies crossing letters for BULL at 5A, PUREE at 11A, and ANNEX at 13A, giving the upper-right corner a useful foothold.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
When a clue explicitly signals a homophone, solve its ordinary definition first and then say the answer aloud. PARABLES and TUNICS demonstrate how a familiar word can become a description of other entries.
Keep a repeated answer when the clues and crossings support it. Today's repeated BULL and KNICK fills are essential to the theme, so forcing different synonyms would work against the grid.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
This grid rewards an ear for language as much as a memory for trivia. TUNICS delivers the neatest payoff, turning an ordinary clothing answer into a joke that ties two other entries together.
See you at the next grid.