NYT Midi Crossword Hints, Clues and Answers for Friday, July 24, 2026

Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans into brisk trivia, conversational language, and a compact word-fragment payoff. Settle in and enjoy the variety.

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: 11x11

Total Clues: 41 (21 Across, 20 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 22A is the trickiest clue because recognizing a recent streaming rom-com requires precise title knowledge.

Gimme Clue: 27A is the clearest gimme, since the familiar volume conversion leaves almost no interpretive work.

Theme Spotted: "Kinda Sorta"

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Protest site for Rosa Parks
Hint: Think of the public vehicle on which Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat. Three letters, starts with B.

4A. "Tsk, tsk," in texting shorthand
Hint: Use the texting abbreviation that conveys disapproving disbelief through a head gesture. Three letters, starts with S.

7A. "Now I know the answer!"
Hint: The target is a short exclamation uttered when a solution suddenly becomes clear. Three letters, starts with A.

10A. Household pest many consider less scary than a cockroach
Hint: Picture the tiny picnic-crasher that often forms an orderly trail through a kitchen. Three letters, starts with A.

11A. Abu Dhabi's country, for short
Hint: Abu Dhabi belongs to a Gulf federation whose abbreviated English name is commonly used. Three letters, starts with U.

12A. ___ Alamos, N.M.
Hint: Supply the Spanish article that precedes Alamos in the New Mexico place name. Three letters, starts with L.

13A. Chewy red candy
Hint: Name the chewy, fish-shaped red candy sold in bags. 11 letters, starts with S.

16A. Moves to a bigger home, as a plant
Hint: Use the gardening verb for transferring plants into larger containers, in third-person singular form. Six letters, starts with R.

17A. Frozen drink brand
Hint: Think of the convenience-store brand known for brightly colored frozen drinks. Four letters, starts with I.

18A. Created for a specific purpose, as a committee
Hint: The committee exists for one particular task rather than as a permanent body. Five letters, starts with A.

19A. Requirements
Hint: Think of the things a project or person cannot do without. Five letters, starts with N.

20A. Person always trying to bring you down
Hint: The clue describes a persistent detractor who tears down other people. Five letters, starts with H.

22A. 2024 fantasy rom-com co-starring Lindsay Lohan
Hint: Recall the title of Lindsay Lohan's 2024 fantasy romantic comedy set around a wedding in Ireland. Nine letters, starts with I.

26A. Devices that turn uncut bagels into sandwich ends
Hint: Picture countertop devices that safely divide whole bagels into two sandwich-ready halves. Seven letters, starts with S.

27A. 1/4 of a quart
Hint: Convert the quart into four equal familiar kitchen measures. Three letters, starts with C.

29A. Tick-___
Hint: Complete the familiar paired sound made by a ticking clock. Four letters, starts with T.

30A. The "i" of Roy G. Biv
Hint: Expand the rainbow mnemonic and identify the color represented by its lowercase vowel. Six letters, starts with I.

32A. "Interesting ..."
Hint: Use the brief conversational response that signals understanding and mild curiosity. Four letters, starts with I.

33A. "Little Bunny ___" (nursery song)
Hint: Complete the title of the nursery song about a little rabbit and a field mouse. Six letters, starts with F.

34A. Service used by diners to book tables
Hint: Think of the online reservation service diners use to secure restaurant tables. Four letters, starts with R.

35A. Vague time for a late lunch, as suggested by parts of 13- and 22-Across
Hint: The clue wants an approximate early-afternoon time for lunch, not a precise appointment. Six letters, starts with T.

Down Hints

1D. Arab city whose name is, appropriately, an anagram of ARABS
Hint: Rearrange the supplied letters into the name of a major port city in southern Iraq. Five letters, starts with B.

2D. Not married
Hint: Use a marital-status adjective meaning not joined in marriage. Five letters, starts with U.

3D. N.B.A. star Curry, familiarly
Hint: Think of the Golden State Warriors guard and use the familiar form by which he is commonly known. Five letters, starts with S.

4D. Frequent flier?
Hint: The frequent traveler here is an object that routinely accompanies someone onto an airplane. Eight letters, starts with S.

5D. "m," to scientists
Hint: Scientists use the lowercase symbol for the physical quantity that measures how much matter an object contains. Four letters, starts with M.

6D. Mild chuckle
Hint: Write a restrained, slightly dry laugh sound rather than a hearty burst of laughter. Three letters, starts with H.

7D. "The Autobiography of ___ B. Toklas" (Gertrude Stein book)
Hint: Gertrude Stein's book is named for her American-born life partner and fellow member of the Paris avant-garde. Five letters, starts with A.

8D. Sprayed (down)
Hint: Picture something drenched with a spray nozzle, then put that action in the past tense. Five letters, starts with H.

9D. Incense residue
Hint: The target is the powdery residue remaining after incense has burned. Five letters, starts with A.

14D. Thingamajiggy
Hint: Use another playful placeholder noun for a gadget whose proper name escapes you. Nine letters, starts with D.

15D. Guy known as the "Mayor of Flavortown"
Hint: Picture the spiky-haired Food Network personality associated with diners, drive-ins, and Flavortown. Five letters, starts with F.

19D. Encouraging weather report for skiers
Hint: Insert the invisible space where a skier would, rather than where a broadcaster would. Seven letters, starts with N.

21D. Frugality
Hint: Think of careful, economical use of money and resources. Six letters, starts with T.

22D. "You win!"
Hint: Answer from the loser's point of view instead of repeating the winner-focused wording. Five letters, starts with I.

23D. Turns into grain-sized pieces, as cauliflower
Hint: Turn the cauliflower into tiny grainlike pieces, expressed in third-person singular form. Five letters, starts with R.

24D. Genre for Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," informally
Hint: Bradbury's novel belongs to speculative fiction, and the clue requests the common clipped label for that genre. Five letters, starts with S.

25D. Annual 24-Down book awards
Hint: Think of speculative fiction's annual literary honors named for a pioneering magazine editor. Five letters, starts with H.

26D. Mix with a wooden spatula, say
Hint: Move ingredients around a bowl or pan with the utensil named in the clue. Four letters, starts with S.

28D. Cartoon bear in a red shirt
Hint: The red-shirted cartoon bear is A. A. Milne's honey-loving resident of the Hundred Acre Wood. Four letters, starts with P.

31D. Scooby-___
Hint: Complete the famous Great Dane's hyphenated name with its second syllable. 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. Protest site for Rosa Parks
Answer: BUS

4A. "Tsk, tsk," in texting shorthand
Answer: SMH

7A. "Now I know the answer!"
Answer: AHA

10A. Household pest many consider less scary than a cockroach
Answer: ANT

11A. Abu Dhabi's country, for short
Answer: UAE

12A. ___ Alamos, N.M.
Answer: LOS

13A. Chewy red candy
Answer: SWEDISHFISH

16A. Moves to a bigger home, as a plant
Answer: REPOTS

17A. Frozen drink brand
Answer: ICEE

18A. Created for a specific purpose, as a committee
Answer: ADHOC

19A. Requirements
Answer: NEEDS

20A. Person always trying to bring you down
Answer: HATER

22A. 2024 fantasy rom-com co-starring Lindsay Lohan
Answer: IRISHWISH

26A. Devices that turn uncut bagels into sandwich ends
Answer: SLICERS

27A. 1/4 of a quart
Answer: CUP

29A. Tick-___
Answer: TOCK

30A. The "i" of Roy G. Biv
Answer: INDIGO

32A. "Interesting ..."
Answer: ISEE

33A. "Little Bunny ___" (nursery song)
Answer: FOOFOO

34A. Service used by diners to book tables
Answer: RESY

35A. Vague time for a late lunch, as suggested by parts of 13- and 22-Across
Answer: TWOISH

Down Answers

1D. Arab city whose name is, appropriately, an anagram of ARABS
Answer: BASRA

2D. Not married
Answer: UNWED

3D. N.B.A. star Curry, familiarly
Answer: STEPH

4D. Frequent flier?
Answer: SUITCASE

5D. "m," to scientists
Answer: MASS

6D. Mild chuckle
Answer: HEH

7D. "The Autobiography of ___ B. Toklas" (Gertrude Stein book)
Answer: ALICE

8D. Sprayed (down)
Answer: HOSED

9D. Incense residue
Answer: ASHES

14D. Thingamajiggy
Answer: DOOHICKEY

15D. Guy known as the "Mayor of Flavortown"
Answer: FIERI

19D. Encouraging weather report for skiers
Answer: NEWSNOW

21D. Frugality
Answer: THRIFT

22D. "You win!"
Answer: ILOSE

23D. Turns into grain-sized pieces, as cauliflower
Answer: RICES

24D. Genre for Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," informally
Answer: SCIFI

25D. Annual 24-Down book awards
Answer: HUGOS

26D. Mix with a wooden spatula, say
Answer: STIR

28D. Cartoon bear in a red shirt
Answer: POOH

31D. Scooby-___
Answer: DOO

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 35A, TWOISH, defines the puzzle because SWEDISH FISH and IRISH WISH each contain two occurrences of ISH. The revealer turns that repeated fragment into a perfectly natural vague lunchtime.

Wordplay Winner: 19D wins the wordplay prize with NEWSNOW. Read as NEW SNOW, the same uninterrupted letters become exactly the weather report skiers want.

Quick Fill: 27A, CUP, is the fastest confident fill because the quarter-quart conversion is immediate. Its letters securely support SCIFI, HUGOS, and POOH in the southeast corner.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Bank the direct entries first, especially CUP, TOCK, and INDIGO, then use their crossings to open the lower half.

When a long entry looks unfamiliar, build it from short crossings before reaching for title knowledge. That approach makes IRISH WISH much easier to confirm through ILOSE, RICES, THRIFT, FIERI, SCIFI, and HUGOS.