Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans into playful botanical misdirection, balanced by crisp trivia and conversational wordplay. Settle in for a grid that rewards both direct recall and a willingness to read clues literally.
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: 30 (16 Across, 14 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 4D is the trickiest clue, using a whimsical image of a fearsome mouth to disguise a familiar bloom.
Gimme Clue: 23A is the clearest gimme, since its shark anatomy clue points to one unmistakable feature.
Theme Spotted: "Wildflowers"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Gently throw
Hint: 1A points to an easy underhand motion rather than a forceful hurl. Four letters, starts with T.
5A. Some graduate student workers, for short
Hint: 5A wants the abbreviated campus role held by graduate students who help teach courses. Three letters, starts with T.
8A. "Let's do it!"
Hint: 8A is an enthusiastic declaration of agreement and participation. Four letters, starts with I.
9A. ___ full circle
Hint: 9A completes an expression about returning to the original situation. Four letters, starts with C.
10A. Baby's early word, maybe
Hint: 10A is an early parental word an infant can form through repeated syllables. Four letters, starts with M.
11A. Among
Hint: 11A seeks a preposition meaning surrounded by or in the middle of. Four letters, starts with A.
12A. Chain that offers "flights" of pancakes
Hint: 12A is a breakfast chain whose pancake sampling option borrows a term from aviation. Four letters, starts with I.
13A. Actress Headey of "Game of Thrones"
Hint: 13A points to the actress who portrayed Cersei Lannister in the HBO fantasy series. Four letters, starts with L.
14A. Bloom that doesn't actually roar
Hint: 14A is the yellow lawn bloom whose name evokes a roaring big cat. Nine letters, starts with D.
16A. "Awkward Black Girl" creator Issa
Hint: 16A asks for the actor and writer who created and starred in the cited web series. Three letters, starts with R.
17A. Got on, as a plane
Hint: 17A is the past-tense verb for entering an aircraft before departure. Seven letters, starts with B.
21A. Bloom that doesn't actually fit on an animal's paw
Hint: 21A is a tall, tubular bloom whose compound name pairs a woodland animal with handwear. Eight letters, starts with F.
22A. Cookie with a limited edition "Firecracker Pop" variety
Hint: 22A wants the familiar sandwich-cookie brand behind the cited limited edition variety. Four letters, starts with O.
23A. Shark feature
Hint: 23A points to the prominent appendage rising from a shark's back. Three letters, starts with F.
24A. N.Y.C. train station beneath M.S.G.
Hint: 24A is the major Manhattan rail hub directly beneath Madison Square Garden. Four letters, starts with P.
25A. Travel by plane
Hint: 25A seeks the basic verb for traveling through the air aboard an aircraft. Three letters, starts with F.
Down Hints
1D. Far from bold
Hint: 1D is an adjective for someone reserved, fearful, or lacking boldness. Five letters, starts with T.
2D. Big city in the Cornhusker State
Hint: 2D points to a Nebraska metropolis on the Missouri River. Five letters, starts with O.
3D. He "says" a lot of things, in a children's game
Hint: 3D is the named authority whose commands matter in a children's listening game. Five letters, starts with S.
4D. Bloom that doesn't actually have a mouth full of fangs
Hint: 4D is a colorful bloom whose compound name joins a sudden sharp action with a mythical fire-breather. Ten letters, starts with S.
5D. Marisa of "My Cousin Vinny"
Hint: 5D asks for the actress who played Mona Lisa Vito in the cited courtroom comedy. Five letters, starts with T.
6D. ___ acid (protein building block)
Hint: 6D is the modifier before “acid” in the term for a protein building block. Five letters, starts with A.
7D. Sentra or Sonata
Hint: 7D seeks the passenger-car body style shared by the Sentra and Sonata. Five letters, starts with S.
9D. Canceled, as plans
Hint: 9D is a phrasal verb meaning that planned arrangements were canceled. Nine letters, starts with C.
15D. ___ Grey tea
Hint: 15D is the English noble rank that completes the name of the tea blend. Four letters, starts with E.
17D. Total snoozefest
Hint: 17D describes a tedious person or event that inspires yawns. Four letters, starts with B.
18D. Wagon pullers
Hint: 18D points to plural draft cattle traditionally harnessed to wagons. Four letters, starts with O.
19D. Wicked
Hint: 19D seeks a direct synonym for morally wicked. Four letters, starts with E.
20D. Say it ain't so!
Hint: 20D is the verb for rejecting an accusation or insisting it is untrue. Four letters, starts with D.
21D. Overly fancy fella
Hint: 21D is an old-fashioned term for an excessively dressed, vain man. Three letters, starts with F.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Gently throw
Answer: TOSS
5A. Some graduate student workers, for short
Answer: TAS
8A. "Let's do it!"
Answer: IMIN
9A. ___ full circle
Answer: COME
10A. Baby's early word, maybe
Answer: MAMA
11A. Among
Answer: AMID
12A. Chain that offers "flights" of pancakes
Answer: IHOP
13A. Actress Headey of "Game of Thrones"
Answer: LENA
14A. Bloom that doesn't actually roar
Answer: DANDELION
16A. "Awkward Black Girl" creator Issa
Answer: RAE
17A. Got on, as a plane
Answer: BOARDED
21A. Bloom that doesn't actually fit on an animal's paw
Answer: FOXGLOVE
22A. Cookie with a limited edition "Firecracker Pop" variety
Answer: OREO
23A. Shark feature
Answer: FIN
24A. N.Y.C. train station beneath M.S.G.
Answer: PENN
25A. Travel by plane
Answer: FLY
Down Answers
1D. Far from bold
Answer: TIMID
2D. Big city in the Cornhusker State
Answer: OMAHA
3D. He "says" a lot of things, in a children's game
Answer: SIMON
4D. Bloom that doesn't actually have a mouth full of fangs
Answer: SNAPDRAGON
5D. Marisa of "My Cousin Vinny"
Answer: TOMEI
6D. ___ acid (protein building block)
Answer: AMINO
7D. Sentra or Sonata
Answer: SEDAN
9D. Canceled, as plans
Answer: CALLEDOFF
15D. ___ Grey tea
Answer: EARL
17D. Total snoozefest
Answer: BORE
18D. Wagon pullers
Answer: OXEN
19D. Wicked
Answer: EVIL
20D. Say it ain't so!
Answer: DENY
21D. Overly fancy fella
Answer: FOP
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 14A, “Bloom that doesn't actually roar,” with DANDELION, defines the puzzle's playful voice. The clue treats the embedded LION as a literal animal while still pointing cleanly to the flower.
Wordplay Winner: 21A wins the wordplay honors with FOXGLOVE. The clue converts FOX into the animal and GLOVE into something that would fit over its paw, unpacking the compound name piece by piece.
Quick Fill: FIN was the fastest confident fill because the shark clue is direct, and its crossings support CALLEDOFF, EVIL, and DENY.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Bank the direct category clues first, such as FIN, SEDAN, and AMINO, then use those crossings to attack the longer phrases.
When a whimsical bloom clue resists, split the plant name into literal pieces. DANDELION contains LION, FOXGLOVE pairs FOX with GLOVE, and SNAPDRAGON joins SNAP with DRAGON.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, surrounding its playful flower clues with clean conversational fill. FOXGLOVE delivered the sharpest final grin.
See you at the next grid.
