Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans into crisp trivia, conversational phrasing, punctuation wordplay, and a shaded-name gimmick. Settle in for a lively grid with satisfying connections.
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: 9x10
Total Clues: 34 (17 Across, 17 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 17A is the trickiest clue because its conversational wording points to an idiomatic response rather than a literal definition.
Gimme Clue: 21A is the cleanest gimme, with a direct definition from poetry.
Theme Spotted: "Around the Bend"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Initialism meaning "Refrain from opening this link at the office!"
Hint: 1A wants the workplace warning attached to a link containing inappropriate material. Four letters, starts with N.
5A. Sign of a scrape's healing
Hint: 5A is the protective crust that forms while scraped skin heals. Four letters, starts with S.
9A. Designer Wang
Hint: 9A points to the American fashion designer famed for bridalwear. Four letters, starts with V.
10A. California's ___ Valley
Hint: 10A names the California wine region whose celebrated valley shares its name. Four letters, starts with N.
11A. Midmonth day
Hint: 11A uses the Roman calendar term for a day around the middle of a month. Four letters, starts with I.
12A. "'Tis a pity ..."
Hint: 12A is a classic exclamation of sorrow or regret. Four letters, starts with A.
13A. – or —
Hint: 13A asks for the general name of either horizontal punctuation mark shown. Four letters, starts with D.
14A. Static Insta posts
Hint: 14A means still photographs shared on Instagram rather than videos. Four letters, starts with P.
15A. "Monsters, ___" (2001 film)
Hint: 15A completes the corporate abbreviation in the animated film's title. Three letters, starts with I.
16A. Comedian Margaret
Hint: 16A points to the American comedian, actor, and activist named Margaret. Three letters, starts with C.
17A. "You know, because that's totally normal"
Hint: 17A is a dry conversational phrase used when someone's behavior is treated as completely ordinary. Nine letters, starts with A.
21A. Poem of praise
Hint: 21A is a lyrical poem written in celebration or praise. Three letters, starts with O.
22A. Media mogul who founded CNN ... or a hint to this puzzle's shaded names
Hint: 22A points to the American media entrepreneur who founded CNN and whose surname supplies the thematic instruction. Nine letters, starts with T.
28A. Lotion additive
Hint: 28A is the soothing succulent gel often included in skin products. Four letters, starts with A.
29A. Burger joint meat
Hint: 29A asks for the customary meat used in a hamburger. Four letters, starts with B.
30A. Audi alternatives
Hint: 30A names cars from a German luxury marque offered as alternatives to Audis. Four letters, starts with B.
31A. Colored egg component
Hint: 31A is the typically golden center of an egg. Four letters, starts with Y.
Down Hints
1D. Tech giant whose name consists of three U.S. state postal abbreviations
Hint: 1D is the graphics-chip giant whose name can be segmented into the postal abbreviations for Nevada, Idaho, and Iowa. Six letters, starts with N.
2D. Cars that typically have four doors
Hint: 2D describes passenger cars with a separate trunk and typically four doors. Six letters, starts with S.
3D. Painting executed on a wet plaster surface
Hint: 3D is the mural technique that applies pigment to fresh, wet plaster. Six letters, starts with F.
4D. ___ and fold (type of laundry service)
Hint: 4D supplies the first verb in a laundry-service phrase ending with “and fold.” Four letters, starts with W.
5D. Onesie fastener
Hint: 5D is the small press fastener commonly found on a baby's one-piece garment. Four letters, starts with S.
6D. Cat with multicolored patches
Hint: 6D names a cat distinguished by patches of multiple colors. Six letters, starts with C.
7D. Indigenous people of the Southwest
Hint: 7D identifies an Indigenous people with historic homelands across the American Southwest. Six letters, starts with A.
8D. Opera singers with deep voices
Hint: 8D asks for opera singers in the lowest male vocal range. Six letters, starts with B.
18D. Post-it memos
Hint: 18D refers to brief memos written on small adhesive squares. Five letters, starts with N.
19D. University website suffix
Hint: 19D is the domain ending associated with educational institutions. Three letters, starts with E.
20D. Certain horse race or hat
Hint: 20D is a word that can name either a horse race or a rounded hat. Five letters, starts with D.
22D. Indentation key
Hint: 22D is the keyboard control used to indent text or move focus forward. Three letters, starts with T.
23D. Tree with oblong-shaped leaves
Hint: 23D is a deciduous tree known for toothed, oblong leaves. Three letters, starts with E.
24D. The "D" of Wall Street's D.J.I.A.
Hint: 24D wants the surname represented by the first initial in the Wall Street index's abbreviation. Three letters, starts with D.
25D. Opposite of paleo-
Hint: 25D is the prefix meaning new or recent, set against the prefix for ancient. Three letters, starts with N.
26D. Slippery as an ___
Hint: 26D completes the familiar comparison for someone or something extremely slippery. Three letters, starts with E.
27D. '60s attorney general who was also a president's brother, for short
Hint: 27D identifies the U.S. attorney general who was President John F. Kennedy's brother, using the abbreviated form requested. Three letters, starts with R.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Initialism meaning "Refrain from opening this link at the office!"
Answer: NSFW
5A. Sign of a scrape's healing
Answer: SCAB
9A. Designer Wang
Answer: VERA
10A. California's ___ Valley
Answer: NAPA
11A. Midmonth day
Answer: IDES
12A. "'Tis a pity ..."
Answer: ALAS
13A. – or —
Answer: DASH
14A. Static Insta posts
Answer: PICS
15A. "Monsters, ___" (2001 film)
Answer: INC
16A. Comedian Margaret
Answer: CHO
17A. "You know, because that's totally normal"
Answer: ASONEDOES
21A. Poem of praise
Answer: ODE
22A. Media mogul who founded CNN ... or a hint to this puzzle's shaded names
Answer: TEDTURNER
28A. Lotion additive
Answer: ALOE
29A. Burger joint meat
Answer: BEEF
30A. Audi alternatives
Answer: BMWS
31A. Colored egg component
Answer: YOLK
Down Answers
1D. Tech giant whose name consists of three U.S. state postal abbreviations
Answer: NVIDIA
2D. Cars that typically have four doors
Answer: SEDANS
3D. Painting executed on a wet plaster surface
Answer: FRESCO
4D. ___ and fold (type of laundry service)
Answer: WASH
5D. Onesie fastener
Answer: SNAP
6D. Cat with multicolored patches
Answer: CALICO
7D. Indigenous people of the Southwest
Answer: APACHE
8D. Opera singers with deep voices
Answer: BASSOS
18D. Post-it memos
Answer: NOTES
19D. University website suffix
Answer: EDU
20D. Certain horse race or hat
Answer: DERBY
22D. Indentation key
Answer: TAB
23D. Tree with oblong-shaped leaves
Answer: ELM
24D. The "D" of Wall Street's D.J.I.A.
Answer: DOW
25D. Opposite of paleo-
Answer: NEO
26D. Slippery as an ___
Answer: EEL
27D. '60s attorney general who was also a president's brother, for short
Answer: RFK
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 22A, TED TURNER, defines the puzzle because the CNN founder's surname doubles as an instruction for reading the shaded names. The proper name and thematic mechanism land in one clean clue.
Wordplay Winner: 13A, DASH, wins the wordplay prize by showing two different horizontal punctuation marks and asking for the umbrella term that covers either one.
Quick Fill: 15A, INC, is the fastest confident fill because the familiar Monsters, Inc. title locks in crossings with NVIDIA, SEDANS, and FRESCO.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Use compact proper-name entries such as VERA, NAPA, and CHO as provisional anchors, then confirm them through the longer Down entries before committing to nearby conversational fill.
When a clue displays symbols, classify what they are before searching for synonyms. That approach makes DASH at 13A immediate and keeps the crossings moving.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, balancing direct trivia with a few crisp pivots in phrasing. TED TURNER gave the finish its strongest thematic click.
See you at the next grid.
