Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and Monday's grid builds its theme around perfect scores across sports, gaming, and academics. Whether you're a diving fan, a Pac-Man pro, or just remember studying for the SAT, this 9x9 puzzle delivers a clean, satisfying solve.
How The Midi Works
The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring an 8x10 or 9x11 grid with 15-20 Across and 15-20 Down clues. It takes about 5-15 minutes to solve, making it perfect for a coffee break or commute. 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: 11A. "___ Donald, three-time N.F.L. Defensive Player of the Year", requires football knowledge of a defensive legend
Gimme Clue: 22A. "Contents of a hotel room bucket", about as straightforward as it gets
Theme Spotted: “The Perfect Score Doesn’t Exi—”
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1. Steal from
Hint: Think heist. Five letters, starts with R.
4. Abound (with)
Hint: What a pond does with fish. Four letters, starts with T.
8. Misjudge something, say
Hint: To make a mistake. Three letters, starts with E.
9. Picture holder
Hint: What you'd put a photo in. Five letters, starts with F.
10. When a train is scheduled to get in, for short
Hint: Three-letter airport abbreviation for arrival time.
11. ___ Donald, three-time N.F.L. Defensive Player of the Year
Hint: First name of the Rams' defensive tackle. Five letters, starts with A.
12. Sport with a perfect score of 10
Hint: Olympic sport involving flips and boards. Six letters, starts with D.
14. Mindless sorts?
Hint: Undead creatures from horror movies. Seven letters, starts with Z.
17. Game with a perfect score of 3,333,360
Hint: Arcade classic with yellow dots and ghosts. Six letters, starts with P.
19. Viral jokes on social media
Hint: What gets shared and reshared online. Five letters, starts with M.
22. Contents of a hotel room bucket
Hint: Cold stuff for your drinks. Three letters, starts with I.
23. Dodge
Hint: To avoid or sidestep. Five letters, starts with E.
24. "Appreciate it!," in texts
Hint: Text shorthand for "thanks." Three letters, starts with T.
25. Malicious spells
Hint: Witches cast these. Five letters, starts with H.
26. Exam with a perfect score of 1600
Hint: Standardized test for college admissions. Three letters.
Down Hints
1. Oboe piece
Hint: The mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument. Four letters, starts with R.
2. Ana of "Ugly Betty"
Hint: Actress Ortiz with a five-letter surname.
3. "Well done!!"
Hint: Italian word for applause. Five letters, starts with B.
4. Like the endings of "Death of a Salesman" and "Romeo and Juliet"
Hint: Not a happy ending. Six letters, starts with T.
5. Otolaryngologist's focus
Hint: What an ear, nose, and throat doctor treats. Three letters.
6. Music genre with intensely personal lyrics
Hint: A three-letter genre known for emotional expression.
7. Guys
Hint: Simple three-letter word for males.
9. Swifties and Deadheads, for two
Hint: Dedicated groups of fans. Seven letters, starts with F.
13. Hinder
Hint: To block or obstruct. Six letters, starts with I.
15. Gives off
Hint: What a lamp does with light. Five letters, starts with E.
16. Comedian/actor ___ Baron Cohen
Hint: The Borat star's first name. Five letters, starts with S.
18. Shout to a long line of customers
Hint: What a store employee says to signal the next person. Four letters, starts with N.
19. "It's just okay"
Hint: A three-letter expression of indifference.
20. Christmas ___
Hint: December 24th. Three letters, starts with E.
21. Highest amount, for short
Hint: Three-letter abbreviation for maximum.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1. Steal from
Answer: ROB
4. Abound (with)
Answer: TEEM
8. Misjudge something, say
Answer: ERR
9. Picture holder
Answer: FRAME
10. When a train is scheduled to get in, for short
Answer: ETA
11. ___ Donald, three-time N.F.L. Defensive Player of the Year
Answer: AARON
12. Sport with a perfect score of 10
Answer: DIVING
14. Mindless sorts?
Answer: ZOMBIES
17. Game with a perfect score of 3,333,360
Answer: PACMAN
19. Viral jokes on social media
Answer: MEMES
22. Contents of a hotel room bucket
Answer: ICE
23. Dodge
Answer: EVADE
24. "Appreciate it!," in texts
Answer: THX
25. Malicious spells
Answer: HEXES
26. Exam with a perfect score of 1600
Answer: SAT
Down Answers
1. Oboe piece
Answer: REED
2. Ana of "Ugly Betty"
Answer: ORTIZ
3. "Well done!!"
Answer: BRAVO
4. Like the endings of "Death of a Salesman" and "Romeo and Juliet"
Answer: TRAGIC
5. Otolaryngologist's focus
Answer: EAR
6. Music genre with intensely personal lyrics
Answer: EMO
7. Guys
Answer: MEN
9. Swifties and Deadheads, for two
Answer: FANBASES
13. Hinder
Answer: IMPEDE
15. Gives off
Answer: EMITS
16. Comedian/actor ___ Baron Cohen
Answer: SACHA
18. Shout to a long line of customers
Answer: NEXT
19. "It's just okay"
Answer: MEH
20. Christmas ___
Answer: EVE
21. Highest amount, for short
Answer: MAX
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 17A. "Game with a perfect score of 3,333,360" for PACMAN. That specific number is a deep cut for arcade enthusiasts. A perfect Pac-Man game requires clearing all 256 levels without ever being caught by a ghost, a feat so rare that only a handful of players have ever claimed it.
Wordplay Winner: 14A. "Mindless sorts?" for ZOMBIES. The question mark signals wordplay, and the clue plays on the double meaning of "mindless", zombies are literally mindless (no brain function) and metaphorically mindless (unthinking). Clean construction.
Quick Fill: 22A. "Contents of a hotel room bucket" for ICE. Three letters, zero ambiguity, instant fill. Every solver starts here.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Theme spotting pays off. DIVING, PACMAN, and SAT all share a "perfect score" connection. Once you identify the through line, intersecting answers become predictable. On a Monday, themes are almost always straightforward.
Short fill answers like ICE, ERR, MEN, and EMO act as grid anchors. Lock those in first to build a scaffold for the longer answers like ZOMBIES (7 letters) and FANBASES (8 letters).
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The next Midi drops tomorrow. How did today's grid treat you? With perfect scores as the anchor, Monday's puzzle was an accessible warmup for the week ahead. Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at the next grid.
