Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and a playful theme ties everyday language to a satisfying reveal, with compact wordplay along the way. Come on in and let the crossings help the trick click.
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: 28 (15 Across, 13 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 11A is the trickiest clue, since precious points toward excessive cuteness rather than something valuable.
Gimme Clue: 5A is the gimme, with ballet attire and a repetitive name pointing neatly toward the same garment.
Theme Spotted: "Informed Consumer"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Make ___ meet
Hint: 1A calls for the familiar expression about covering your bills with your income. Four letters, starts with E.
5A. Ballet garment with a repetitive name
Hint: 5A points to the flared skirt worn by a ballerina. Four letters, starts with T.
9A. Nothing more than
Hint: 9A wants an adjective that downplays importance or magnitude. Four letters, starts with M.
10A. Off-roaders, for short
Hint: 10A points to abbreviated vehicles built for riding over rough ground. Four letters, starts with A.
11A. Overly precious
Hint: 11A describes something so quaint and cute that it becomes cloying. Four letters, starts with T.
12A. Ocean's ebb and flow
Hint: 12A concerns the regular rise and fall of coastal water. Four letters, starts with T.
13A. XXX-XX-XXXX ID
Hint: 13A points to the abbreviated identifier requested on American tax forms. Three letters, starts with S.
14A. "Baby Cobra" comedian Wong
Hint: 14A asks you to recall the performer behind the stand-up special, rather than anything about its reptilian title. Three letters, starts with A.
15A. "No ___, ands or buts!"
Hint: 15A completes a firm refusal to entertain conditions or objections. Three letters, starts with I.
16A. Company name abbr.
Hint: 16A wants a corporate abbreviation that follows a business name. Three letters, starts with I.
18A. Appear to be
Hint: 18A describes giving an impression without guaranteeing reality. Four letters, starts with S.
20A. Sicilian volcano that anagrams to the name NATE
Hint: 20A supplies its own backup route: rearrange NATE if the geography does not click. Four letters, starts with E.
21A. One's sources of information and entertainment, collectively ... or a hint to 2- and 7-Down?
Hint: 21A wants a phrase for your overall intake of reporting and entertainment. Return to its linked clues after the crossings develop. Nine letters, starts with M.
23A. More in need of a wipe-down, maybe
Hint: 23A describes a shelf with a heavier coating of fine household grime. Seven letters, starts with D.
24A. Competitors in a slam
Hint: 24A shifts the competition from a sports arena to a spoken-word stage. Five letters, starts with P.
Down Hints
1D. CPR pro
Hint: 1D points to an abbreviated ambulance crew role. Three letters, starts with E.
2D. Online stream that may be doomscrolled
Hint: 2D is the scrolling sequence of headlines and updates on a digital platform. Eight letters, starts with N.
3D. Wearing one's best outfit, perhaps
Hint: 3D describes arriving in fancy clothes for a special occasion. Nine letters, starts with D.
4D. "Now I've ___ everything!"
Hint: 4D completes an exclamation of disbelief after witnessing something extraordinary. Four letters, starts with S.
5D. "Toodles!"
Hint: 5D wants a jaunty, informal farewell. Four letters, starts with T.
6D. Electricity, water, gas, etc.
Hint: 6D groups the essential household services that generate regular bills. Nine letters, starts with U.
7D. Meal enjoyed in a den, say
Hint: 7D points to a prepared tray meal paired with couch-side viewing. Eight letters, starts with T.
8D. Take advantage of
Hint: 8D wants a verb meaning to put something to work for your benefit. Three letters, starts with U.
15D. Suffix with Confucian
Hint: 15D asks for the ending that turns the supplied root into the name of a philosophy. Three letters, starts with I.
17D. Keyboard ___ (meme-famous pet)
Hint: 17D points to the feline in the musical internet clip. Three letters, starts with C.
19D. Sushi bar soup
Hint: 19D is a Japanese broth flavored with fermented soybean paste. Four letters, starts with M.
20D. Revise for publication
Hint: 20D means to polish a draft by changing its wording. Four letters, starts with E.
22D. Had a snack
Hint: 22D wants a past-tense verb for consuming food. Three letters, starts with A.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Make ___ meet
Answer: ENDS
5A. Ballet garment with a repetitive name
Answer: TUTU
9A. Nothing more than
Answer: MERE
10A. Off-roaders, for short
Answer: ATVS
11A. Overly precious
Answer: TWEE
12A. Ocean's ebb and flow
Answer: TIDE
13A. XXX-XX-XXXX ID
Answer: SSN
14A. "Baby Cobra" comedian Wong
Answer: ALI
15A. "No ___, ands or buts!"
Answer: IFS
16A. Company name abbr.
Answer: INC
18A. Appear to be
Answer: SEEM
20A. Sicilian volcano that anagrams to the name NATE
Answer: ETNA
21A. One's sources of information and entertainment, collectively ... or a hint to 2- and 7-Down?
Answer: MEDIADIET
23A. More in need of a wipe-down, maybe
Answer: DUSTIER
24A. Competitors in a slam
Answer: POETS
Down Answers
1D. CPR pro
Answer: EMT
2D. Online stream that may be doomscrolled
Answer: NEWSFEED
3D. Wearing one's best outfit, perhaps
Answer: DRESSEDUP
4D. "Now I've ___ everything!"
Answer: SEEN
5D. "Toodles!"
Answer: TATA
6D. Electricity, water, gas, etc.
Answer: UTILITIES
7D. Meal enjoyed in a den, say
Answer: TVDINNER
8D. Take advantage of
Answer: USE
15D. Suffix with Confucian
Answer: ISM
17D. Keyboard ___ (meme-famous pet)
Answer: CAT
19D. Sushi bar soup
Answer: MISO
20D. Revise for publication
Answer: EDIT
22D. Had a snack
Answer: ATE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 21A's information-and-entertainment clue makes MEDIA DIET the standout. NEWS FEED and TV DINNER each pair a media term with food language, turning that familiar phrase into a compact explanation of the theme.
Wordplay Winner: 24A, "Competitors in a slam," wins the misdirection prize with POETS. Slam invites a sporting interpretation before the answer moves the action to a spoken-word competition.
Quick Fill: TUTU at 5A is a confident opening fill, with the ballet reference reinforced by the repeated syllable. Its crossings start TATA at 5D, UTILITIES at 6D, TV DINNER at 7D and USE at 8D, giving the upper-right corner immediate traction.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Take an explicit anagram as a foothold when a trivia reference stalls you. At 20A, rearranging NATE supplies ETNA without requiring instant recall of the Sicilian volcano.
Solve linked entries by their ordinary definitions before forcing the theme. NEWS FEED and TV DINNER both work independently, then MEDIA DIET explains why they belong together.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
MEDIA DIET gives this grid a satisfying payoff, connecting ordinary phrases through a neatly literal joke. The short clues keep the solve lively around that central reveal.
See you at the next grid.