Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and mixes compact wordplay, cultural trivia, and a satisfying circled-letter payoff. Settle in for a lively grid with several crisp misdirections.
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 (13 Across, 17 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 14A is the trickiest clue because its canine wording conceals a body-part joke.
Gimme Clue: 2D is the easiest gimme, since the quoted email notification points directly to one iconic internet company.
Theme Spotted: "Start the Music!"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Request that might make you stick out your tongue
Hint: Picture the brief instruction a doctor gives while examining your throat. Five letters, starts with S.
6A. "No ___, ands or buts!"
Hint: Supply the plural conditional word in this familiar no-excuses expression. Three letters, starts with I.
9A. Calmness under pressure
Hint: Think of composed self-control when circumstances become tense. Five letters, starts with P.
10A. Made it through a round of musical chairs, say
Hint: The musical-chairs survivor kept a seat when the music stopped. Three letters, starts with S.
11A. Leader of the pack
Hint: Use the familiar label for the dominant member of a group. Nine letters, starts with A.
13A. Salary bump
Hint: A boost in pay calls for the plain workplace synonym. Five letters, starts with R.
14A. One with well-groomed dogs?
Hint: Read “dogs” as slang for feet, then picture someone paid to display a perfectly groomed pair. Nine letters, starts with F.
18A. Tennis star Agassi
Hint: Think of Agassi, the American tennis champion married to Steffi Graf. Five letters, starts with A.
19A. "In Rainbows" rock band ... or a collective feature of the circled letters in 11- and 14-Across?
Hint: Recall the English alternative-rock group behind “In Rainbows,” then use the circled-letter wordplay in 11A and 14A to confirm it. Nine letters, starts with R.
24A. $1,000,000, casually
Hint: Use the clipped slang for $1,000,000. Three letters, starts with M.
25A. Taste quality of soy sauce and miso
Hint: Name the savory basic taste associated with miso and soy sauce. Five letters, starts with U.
26A. "My bad," in a text
Hint: Compress a quick apology into texting shorthand. Three letters, starts with S.
27A. Tribal emblem
Hint: Think of an emblem representing a clan or community, often embodied by an animal or object. Five letters, starts with T.
Down Hints
1D. Where you might get into hot water?
Hint: Picture a wellness retreat where hot-water treatments belong. Three letters, starts with S.
2D. "You've got mail" co.
Hint: Name the early internet service identified by this famous email notification. Three letters, starts with A.
3D. Sharp bark
Hint: Listen for a short, high-pitched canine cry. Three letters, starts with Y.
4D. Campfire residue
Hint: Think of the powdery remains left after campfire wood burns. Three letters, starts with A.
5D. "You'll probably think this is crazy, but ..."
Hint: Use the conversational plea that asks someone to listen before judging an unusual idea. Nine letters, starts with H.
6D. "Let me repeat ..."
Hint: The speaker prefaces a repetition by stressing that these were their own words. Five letters, starts with I.
7D. Test answer that has a 50/50 shot of being correct
Hint: Choose the negative side of the standard true-or-not pairing. Five letters, starts with F.
8D. "Stainless" metal
Hint: Name the metal alloy modified by “stainless.” Five letters, starts with S.
12D. Chinese Communist Party leader Zedong
Hint: Identify the Chinese revolutionary and founding leader associated with the name Zedong. Three letters, starts with M.
14D. Produces produce
Hint: Read the opening word as a verb and the closing word as fruits and vegetables, then think agriculturally. Five letters, starts with F.
15D. Currently broadcasting
Hint: Picture the studio sign indicating that a broadcast is happening now. Five letters, starts with O.
16D. In a strange way
Hint: Use an adverb meaning in a peculiar manner. Five letters, starts with O.
17D. Swim-bike-run race, for short
Hint: Use the casual shortening for a swimming, cycling, and running event. Three letters, starts with T.
20D. Med. care option
Hint: Think of the common managed-care initials for a network-based health plan. Three letters, starts with H.
21D. "___, drink and be merry"
Hint: Complete the familiar sequence that puts a meal before drinking and merriment. Three letters, starts with E.
22D. Inits. in some Black churches
Hint: A historically Black Methodist denomination is being abbreviated. Three letters, starts with A.
23D. Faintly lit
Hint: Picture a room illuminated by weak, low lighting. Three letters, starts with D.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Request that might make you stick out your tongue
Answer: SAYAH
6A. "No ___, ands or buts!"
Answer: IFS
9A. Calmness under pressure
Answer: POISE
10A. Made it through a round of musical chairs, say
Answer: SAT
11A. Leader of the pack
Answer: ALPHAMALE
13A. Salary bump
Answer: RAISE
14A. One with well-groomed dogs?
Answer: FOOTMODEL
18A. Tennis star Agassi
Answer: ANDRE
19A. "In Rainbows" rock band ... or a collective feature of the circled letters in 11- and 14-Across?
Answer: RADIOHEAD
24A. $1,000,000, casually
Answer: MIL
25A. Taste quality of soy sauce and miso
Answer: UMAMI
26A. "My bad," in a text
Answer: SRY
27A. Tribal emblem
Answer: TOTEM
Down Answers
1D. Where you might get into hot water?
Answer: SPA
2D. "You've got mail" co.
Answer: AOL
3D. Sharp bark
Answer: YIP
4D. Campfire residue
Answer: ASH
5D. "You'll probably think this is crazy, but ..."
Answer: HEARMEOUT
6D. "Let me repeat ..."
Answer: ISAID
7D. Test answer that has a 50/50 shot of being correct
Answer: FALSE
8D. "Stainless" metal
Answer: STEEL
12D. Chinese Communist Party leader Zedong
Answer: MAO
14D. Produces produce
Answer: FARMS
15D. Currently broadcasting
Answer: ONAIR
16D. In a strange way
Answer: ODDLY
17D. Swim-bike-run race, for short
Answer: TRI
20D. Med. care option
Answer: HMO
21D. "___, drink and be merry"
Answer: EAT
22D. Inits. in some Black churches
Answer: AME
23D. Faintly lit
Answer: DIM
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 19A, RADIOHEAD, defines the puzzle because it works as both the “In Rainbows” band and the theme's instruction. The heads of ALPHA MALE and FOOT MODEL yield AM and FM, the familiar radio labels.
Wordplay Winner: 14D, FARMS, wins the wordplay prize by shifting “produce” from a verb in “Produces” to the noun for agricultural goods.
Quick Fill: UMAMI is the fastest confident fill because soy sauce and miso point directly to the savory taste. Its crossings confirm HEAR ME OUT, HMO, EAT, AME, and DIM.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Treat question marks as permission to reinterpret a clue's key noun. At 14A, turning “dogs” into feet opens FOOT MODEL immediately.
Use compact brand, sound, and residue clues to stabilize a corner. AOL, YIP, and ASH make the northwest dependable and help verify SAY AH.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid rewarded literal reading, then flipped that habit with playful clues such as FOOT MODEL and the neatly constructed RADIOHEAD reveal.
See you at the next grid.
