Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans into conversational fill, crisp trivia, and extended clues built from parallel phrasing. Settle in for a lively grid with several satisfying turns.
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: 14A is the trickiest clue because its list of drawbacks conceals a compact phrase with an extra reading.
Gimme Clue: 5A is the clearest gimme, a basic Spanish family term with a direct clue.
Theme Spotted: "Both Sides Now"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. "That ___ say ..." ("I mean ...")
Hint: Think of the linking words that complete the stock clarification before “say.” Four letters, starts with I.
5A. Aunt, in Spanish
Hint: Supply the Spanish kinship term for a parent’s sister. Three letters, starts with T.
8A. Engagement at the end of "Hamilton"
Hint: Recall the fatal confrontation involving Hamilton and Burr at the musical’s end. Four letters, starts with D.
9A. Playful tap on the nose
Hint: Think of the cutesy sound attached to a gentle nose tap. Four letters, starts with B.
10A. "Oh, that was me lying"
Hint: Turn the clue into a casual admission that the speaker invented the story. Nine letters, starts with I.
12A. Walking is good exercise ... you might get to drive a cart ... swinging a club will strengthen your arms, etc.?
Hint: Read each example as an advantage of spending time on the links, then compress that idea into a plural phrase. Eight letters, starts with G.
13A. Get ___ of (throw out)
Hint: The blank completes an idiom meaning to discard something. Three letters, starts with R.
14A. The panels are hard to read ... people might say you don't read "real" books ... you might laugh too loud in public, etc.?
Hint: Treat each example as a drawback of reading illustrated panel stories, then condense the idea. Nine letters, starts with C.
20A. Skinny woodwind instrument
Hint: Picture the slender double-reed member of an orchestra. Four letters, starts with O.
21A. (base x height)/2, for a triangle
Hint: The formula measures the surface enclosed by the triangle. Four letters, starts with A.
22A. "Is This Thing On?" actress Laura
Hint: Identify the Laura in the cited film’s cast, known for Jurassic Park and Marriage Story. Four letters, starts with D.
23A. Air mattress annoyance
Hint: Think of the tiny puncture that lets an inflatable mattress deflate. Four letters, starts with L.
24A. Took a good look at
Hint: Use a past-tense verb for examining something closely with your gaze. Four letters, starts with E.
25A. Traditional stories
Hint: Think of a culture’s inherited body of legends and traditional knowledge. Four letters, starts with L.
Down Hints
1D. "Understood"
Hint: Look for a casual slang response signaling comprehension. Four letters, starts with I.
2D. Sport in which the highest rank is yokozuna
Hint: Name the Japanese ring sport whose elite rank is yokozuna. Four letters, starts with S.
3D. Blue-green color
Hint: Picture the saturated hue midway between blue and green. Four letters, starts with T.
4D. Buddy from way back
Hint: Think of a companion whose connection with you stretches far into the past. Nine letters, starts with O.
5D. Classic film dog with a repetitive name
Hint: Recall Dorothy’s canine companion in The Wizard of Oz, whose name repeats the same syllable. Four letters, starts with T.
6D. "Will settle up later" slips
Hint: Think of informal debt slips that promise repayment later. Four letters, starts with I.
7D. TikTok or Threads
Hint: Supply the generic term for a phone-based software service such as TikTok or Threads. Three letters, starts with A.
9D. Swan song?
Hint: Take “song” literally as the vocal sound made by a swan. Eight letters, starts with B.
11D. Awe-inspiring
Hint: Look for a grand-scale adjective conveying awe. Four letters, starts with E.
14D. What these Morse letters aptly spell: -.-. --- -.. .
Hint: Translate each Morse cluster in sequence, then notice that the resulting word describes the system used. Four letters, starts with C.
15D. Follow orders
Hint: Use a verb meaning to carry out commands or comply with authority. Four letters, starts with O.
16D. "That's not nearly enough!"
Hint: Imagine a dissatisfied diner demanding an additional helping. Four letters, starts with M.
17D. Cookie that may be twisted open
Hint: Think of the dark sandwich cookie with creme filling, associated with a twist-open ritual. Four letters, starts with O.
18D. Not distant
Hint: Choose the location word at the opposite end from far away. Four letters, starts with N.
19D. Japanese rice wine
Hint: Name the Japanese brewed drink served warm or chilled. Four letters, starts with S.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. "That ___ say ..." ("I mean ...")
Answer: ISTO
5A. Aunt, in Spanish
Answer: TIA
8A. Engagement at the end of "Hamilton"
Answer: DUEL
9A. Playful tap on the nose
Answer: BOOP
10A. "Oh, that was me lying"
Answer: IMADEITUP
12A. Walking is good exercise ... you might get to drive a cart ... swinging a club will strengthen your arms, etc.?
Answer: GOLFPROS
13A. Get ___ of (throw out)
Answer: RID
14A. The panels are hard to read ... people might say you don't read "real" books ... you might laugh too loud in public, etc.?
Answer: COMICCONS
20A. Skinny woodwind instrument
Answer: OBOE
21A. (base x height)/2, for a triangle
Answer: AREA
22A. "Is This Thing On?" actress Laura
Answer: DERN
23A. Air mattress annoyance
Answer: LEAK
24A. Took a good look at
Answer: EYED
25A. Traditional stories
Answer: LORE
Down Answers
1D. "Understood"
Answer: IDIG
2D. Sport in which the highest rank is yokozuna
Answer: SUMO
3D. Blue-green color
Answer: TEAL
4D. Buddy from way back
Answer: OLDFRIEND
5D. Classic film dog with a repetitive name
Answer: TOTO
6D. "Will settle up later" slips
Answer: IOUS
7D. TikTok or Threads
Answer: APP
9D. Swan song?
Answer: BIRDCALL
11D. Awe-inspiring
Answer: EPIC
14D. What these Morse letters aptly spell: -.-. --- -.. .
Answer: CODE
15D. Follow orders
Answer: OBEY
16D. "That's not nearly enough!"
Answer: MORE
17D. Cookie that may be twisted open
Answer: OREO
18D. Not distant
Answer: NEAR
19D. Japanese rice wine
Answer: SAKE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 12A, GOLFPROS, defines the puzzle because the clue inventories the pros of golf while the answer also names professionals who play it.
Wordplay Winner: 14A wins with COMICCONS. The clue lists cons of reading comics, while the completed phrase also evokes shortened comic-convention names.
Quick Fill: TIA at 5A is the fastest confident fill because the Spanish translation is direct. Its crossings immediately support TOTO, IOUS, and APP.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
When a clue offers a string of examples, summarize their shared function before hunting for fill. That move exposes GOLFPROS and COMICCONS as parallel constructions.
Translate encoded material directly instead of waiting on crossings. At 14D, working through the Morse symbols yields CODE and opens the lower-left corner.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, balancing direct anchors with playful reinterpretations. COMICCONS supplied the sharpest final grin.
See you at the next grid.
