Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and Sunday's expanded 11x11 grid delivers a literary challenge with classic novel references.
Whether you're looking for a mid-length challenge or warming up for the full-size puzzle, we've got hints and answers to keep you moving.
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: 11x11
Total Clues: 65 (35 Across, 30 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 10D: "Nelson Mandela or Albert Einstein, politically"
Gimme Clue: 9A: "The person reading this clue"
Theme Spotted: Classic literature references, particularly children's novels
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Nothing, in Spanish
Hint: Two-letter Spanish negative
5A. "That's odd ..."
Hint: Sound of contemplation, three letters
8A. Near-circular shape
Hint: Egg-shaped, four letters
9A. The person reading this clue
Hint: Second person singular pronoun
10A. *Classic children's novel about a boy who looks like a mouse [E.B. White, 1945]
Hint: First name of the mouse-like protagonist
12A. Group of whales
Hint: Three-letter collective noun for marine mammals
13A. 19th-century abolitionist Brown
Hint: First name of the Harper's Ferry leader
14A. *Classic coming-of-age novel about four sisters [Louisa May Alcott, 1868]
Hint: The second word in the title "Little Women"
16A. Frozen water
Hint: Three-letter solid state of H2O
17A. Paste used in Japanese soups
Hint: Fermented soybean paste, four letters
18A. Tea brand in the Kermit Sipping Tea meme
Hint: Popular tea company, six letters
20A. Lightbulb unit
Hint: Electrical power measurement, four letters
24A. Cards for fortunetelling
Hint: Divination card deck, five letters
25A. [Scratches head ...]
Hint: Sound of uncertainty, three letters
26A. With 31-Across, where you'd go to check out the answers to the starred clues?
Hint: First part of a community book-sharing concept
30A. A.T.M. code
Hint: Three-letter personal identification number
31A. See 26-Across
Hint: Second part of the book-sharing concept
32A. Key next to F1, on a PC
Hint: Three-letter escape key abbreviation
33A. Sent via Outlook, say
Hint: Past tense of electronic message transmission
34A. Gobbled up
Hint: Past tense of consume food, three letters
35A. Red-letter ___
Hint: Three-letter word for a special occasion
Down Hints
1D. Person, place or thing, grammatically
Hint: Four-letter grammatical category
2D. Palindromic first name
Hint: Three-letter name that reads the same forward and backward
3D. "On the Origin of Species" author Charles
Hint: Last name of the naturalist, six letters
4D. Singers below sopranos
Hint: Five-letter vocal range
5D. Buzz surrounding a project
Hint: Four-letter word for excitement or promotion
6D. Lunar lander's destination
Hint: Earth's natural satellite, four letters
7D. Wet dirt
Hint: Three-letter mixture of soil and water
10D. Nelson Mandela or Albert Einstein, politically
Hint: Nine-letter political affiliation
11D. *Classic children's novella about a wise-beyond-his-years explorer [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943]
Hint: The title character of "The Little Prince"
13D. Reject romantically
Hint: Four-letter verb for leaving at the altar
15D. Cut the grass
Hint: Three-letter verb for lawn maintenance
17D. Patchy in coloring
Hint: Seven-letter adjective for irregular coloration
19D. Tater ___
Hint: Three-letter word for potato snack
21D. Hearing-related
Hint: Five-letter adjective for auditory perception
22D. In that location
Hint: Five-letter adverb indicating place
23D. "And all the girls dreamed that ___ be your partner" ("You're So Vain" lyric)
Hint: Contraction of "they would"
27D. Capital of Peru
Hint: Four-letter South American capital
28D. Website with bidding
Hint: Four-letter online auction platform
29D. The "F" in T.G.I.F.: Abbr.
Hint: Three-letter abbreviation for Friday
30D. Vegetable in a samosa
Hint: Three-letter legume often used in Indian snacks
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Nothing, in Spanish
Answer: NADA
5A. "That's odd ..."
Answer: HMM
8A. Near-circular shape
Answer: OVAL
9A. The person reading this clue
Answer: YOU
10A. *Classic children's novel about a boy who looks like a mouse [E.B. White, 1945]
Answer: STUART
12A. Group of whales
Answer: POD
13A. 19th-century abolitionist Brown
Answer: JOHN
14A. *Classic coming-of-age novel about four sisters [Louisa May Alcott, 1868]
Answer: WOMEN
16A. Frozen water
Answer: ICE
17A. Paste used in Japanese soups
Answer: MISO
18A. Tea brand in the Kermit Sipping Tea meme
Answer: LIPTON
20A. Lightbulb unit
Answer: WATT
24A. Cards for fortunetelling
Answer: TAROT
25A. [Scratches head ...]
Answer: UHH
26A. With 31-Across, where you'd go to check out the answers to the starred clues?
Answer: LITTLEFREE
30A. A.T.M. code
Answer: PIN
31A. See 26-Across
Answer: LIBRARY
32A. Key next to F1, on a PC
Answer: ESC
33A. Sent via Outlook, say
Answer: EMAILED
34A. Gobbled up
Answer: ATE
35A. Red-letter ___
Answer: DAY
Down Answers
1D. Person, place or thing, grammatically
Answer: NOUN
2D. Palindromic first name
Answer: AVA
3D. "On the Origin of Species" author Charles
Answer: DARWIN
4D. Singers below sopranos
Answer: ALTOS
5D. Buzz surrounding a project
Answer: HYPE
6D. Lunar lander's destination
Answer: MOON
7D. Wet dirt
Answer: MUD
10D. Nelson Mandela or Albert Einstein, politically
Answer: SOCIALIST
11D. *Classic children's novella about a wise-beyond-his-years explorer [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943]
Answer: THEPRINCE
13D. Reject romantically
Answer: JILT
15D. Cut the grass
Answer: MOW
17D. Patchy in coloring
Answer: MOTTLED
19D. Tater ___
Answer: TOT
21D. Hearing-related
Answer: AURAL
22D. In that location
Answer: THERE
23D. "And all the girls dreamed that ___ be your partner" ("You're So Vain" lyric)
Answer: THEYD
27D. Capital of Peru
Answer: LIMA
28D. Website with bidding
Answer: EBAY
29D. The "F" in T.G.I.F.: Abbr.
Answer: FRI
30D. Vegetable in a samosa
Answer: PEA
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 10D "Nelson Mandela or Albert Einstein, politically" for SOCIALIST. This clue requires specific political history knowledge beyond general crossword vocabulary.
Wordplay Winner: 26A/31A "where you'd go to check out the answers to the starred clues?" for LITTLEFREE LIBRARY. The combined answer cleverly connects to the puzzle's literary theme while referencing community book-sharing.
Quick Fill: 9A "The person reading this clue" for YOU. This meta-clue provides an instant three-letter answer that helps unlock surrounding entries.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Start with the starred clues first. The literature references (STUART, WOMEN, THEPRINCE) provide longer answers that create a framework for the rest of the grid.
Watch for combined answers like 26A/31A. When you see "With [number]-Across" or "See [number]-Across," solve both clues together to understand the complete phrase.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The next Midi drops tomorrow. How did today's literary grid treat you? The classic novel references and combined LITTLEFREE LIBRARY answer created a cohesive Sunday challenge.
Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at the next grid.
