Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and its playful clues turn everyday phrases into little traps. Settle in for a grid with a mischievous streak.
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 (15 Across, 15 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 12A is the trickiest, because its romantic wording steers the imagination toward jewelry while leaving another meaning of “ring” open.
Gimme Clue: 2D is the gimme, with a milkshake mix-in that points straight to a familiar sandwich cookie.
Theme Spotted: "Bottom Lines"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. ___ Ossoff, first millennial U.S. senator
Hint: Recall how Senator Ossoff is introduced by name. Three letters, starts with J.
4A. Deg. from Chicago Booth or N.Y.U. Stern
Hint: Think of the abbreviated graduate qualification awarded by business schools. Three letters, starts with M.
7A. The "A" of U.A.E.
Hint: Expand the country's abbreviated name and focus on its middle word. Four letters, starts with A.
9A. Jelly ___ (colorful candy)
Hint: Picture a chewy candy with a smooth sugar shell. Four letters, starts with B.
10A. Diner handout
Hint: This handout lists the dishes available to order. Four letters, starts with M.
11A. Home to Jordan and Japan
Hint: Think at the continental scale, despite the distance between the named countries. Four letters, starts with A.
12A. Ring given to a lover?
Hint: Read “ring” as a phone interaction, with an intimate rendezvous as its purpose. Nine letters, starts with B.
14A. Ending with "book" or "cook," on social media
Hint: Think of the platform-based suffix attached to reading and cooking communities. Three letters, starts with T.
15A. Split the check
Hint: Use the idiom for dining companions each paying their own share. Seven letters, starts with G.
19A. Sushi wrapper
Hint: Think of the edible seaweed sheet wrapped around a sushi roll. Four letters, starts with N.
20A. [Don't forget about me!]
Hint: Imagine a pointed throat-clearing sound meant to attract attention. Four letters, starts with A.
22A. Ancient worshiper of the god Viracocha
Hint: Look to the ancient civilization centered in the Andes. Four letters, starts with I.
23A. Classic pie crust ingredient
Hint: Think of rendered pork fat used to make flaky pastry. Four letters, starts with L.
24A. Bluish-green hue
Hint: Picture a shade between blue and green, deeper than pale aqua. Four letters, starts with T.
25A. They might have their own table during holiday meals
Hint: Think of the children seated apart from the adults at a family gathering. Four letters, starts with K.
Down Hints
1D. Doorframe part
Hint: Look for an upright side of the frame, rather than the threshold. Four letters, starts with J.
2D. Cookie mixed into some milkshakes
Hint: Picture a chocolate sandwich cookie with a cream filling. Four letters, starts with O.
3D. Prefix meaning "one-billionth"
Hint: Think of the metric prefix used in naming extremely small electronic components. Four letters, starts with N.
4D. Geological formation common in the Southwest
Hint: Picture an elevated landform with a flat top and steep sides. Four letters, starts with M.
5D. Suddenly flake on some plans
Hint: Use the casual verb for backing out of an arrangement. Four letters, starts with B.
6D. Extremely particular
Hint: Think of a blunt slang adjective for being excessively fussy about details. Four letters, starts with A.
8D. Cheeky mistake?
Hint: Imagine a phone accidentally contacting someone while tucked into a rear pocket. Eight letters, starts with B.
9D. Sassy insolence ... or an alternate title for this puzzle?
Hint: Think of a disrespectful verbal response to authority, then revisit the clue's extra suggestion. Eight letters, starts with B.
13D. Personal pronoun often represented by a single letter
Hint: Think of the pronoun that directly addresses the recipient of a text message. Three letters, starts with Y.
15D. "___ Girl" (Gillian Flynn thriller)
Hint: Recall Flynn's thriller about a wife's disappearance and the suspicion surrounding her husband. Four letters, starts with G.
16D. Friend of the pod?
Hint: The pod is a marine social group, and the target is a black-and-white predator. Four letters, starts with O.
17D. Tea, in Hindi
Hint: The Hindi term also appears on café boards for a spiced tea drink. Four letters, starts with C.
18D. Group of cattle
Hint: Use the collective noun for cattle gathered together. Four letters, starts with H.
19D. Trivial point to "pick"
Hint: Think of a tiny fault singled out by an excessively fussy critic. Three letters, starts with N.
21D. OB/GYNs, e.g.
Hint: Use the plural abbreviation for physicians, rather than their specialty. Three letters, starts with M.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. ___ Ossoff, first millennial U.S. senator
Answer: JON
4A. Deg. from Chicago Booth or N.Y.U. Stern
Answer: MBA
7A. The "A" of U.A.E.
Answer: ARAB
9A. Jelly ___ (colorful candy)
Answer: BEAN
10A. Diner handout
Answer: MENU
11A. Home to Jordan and Japan
Answer: ASIA
12A. Ring given to a lover?
Answer: BOOTYCALL
14A. Ending with "book" or "cook," on social media
Answer: TOK
15A. Split the check
Answer: GODUTCH
19A. Sushi wrapper
Answer: NORI
20A. [Don't forget about me!]
Answer: AHEM
22A. Ancient worshiper of the god Viracocha
Answer: INCA
23A. Classic pie crust ingredient
Answer: LARD
24A. Bluish-green hue
Answer: TEAL
25A. They might have their own table during holiday meals
Answer: KIDS
Down Answers
1D. Doorframe part
Answer: JAMB
2D. Cookie mixed into some milkshakes
Answer: OREO
3D. Prefix meaning "one-billionth"
Answer: NANO
4D. Geological formation common in the Southwest
Answer: MESA
5D. Suddenly flake on some plans
Answer: BAIL
6D. Extremely particular
Answer: ANAL
8D. Cheeky mistake?
Answer: BUTTDIAL
9D. Sassy insolence ... or an alternate title for this puzzle?
Answer: BACKTALK
13D. Personal pronoun often represented by a single letter
Answer: YOU
15D. "___ Girl" (Gillian Flynn thriller)
Answer: GONE
16D. Friend of the pod?
Answer: ORCA
17D. Tea, in Hindi
Answer: CHAI
18D. Group of cattle
Answer: HERD
19D. Trivial point to "pick"
Answer: NIT
21D. OB/GYNs, e.g.
Answer: MDS
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 9D, “Sassy insolence ... or an alternate title for this puzzle?”, gives BACKTALK a second job as the theme's signpost. BOOTYCALL and BUTTDIAL pair slang for the backside with telephone language, making that alternate description click.
Wordplay Winner: 12A, “Ring given to a lover?”, wins with BOOTYCALL. “Ring” suggests romantic jewelry before switching to a phone call seeking an intimate encounter.
Quick Fill: OREO at 2D is the fastest confident fill, thanks to the concrete milkshake clue. It supplies crossing letters for JON, ARAB, MENU and BOOTYCALL, making it a useful anchor for the upper-left corner.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Use concrete clues such as OREO and NORI to establish letters before tackling the question-mark entries. For BOOTYCALL and BUTTDIAL, test an alternate meaning of the clue's key word rather than searching for an obscure synonym.
Treat a clue that refers to the puzzle itself as a guide to related entries. BACKTALK makes the connection between BOOTYCALL and BUTTDIAL easier to recognize.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
Straightforward food and vocabulary clues give this grid a welcoming foothold, while BOOTYCALL supplies its sharpest wink. The payoff comes from seeing how BACKTALK ties the cheeky language together.
See you at the next grid.