Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and Sunday's 9x9 grid serves up a pun-heavy puzzle where two "joke" clues deliver genuine laughs. The wordplay isn't subtle, but that's the point. 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: 9x9
Total Clues: 44 (24 Across, 20 Down)
Trickiest Clue: "Despite my best efforts ..."
Gimme Clue: "Material analyzed in a paternity test kit, for short"
Theme Spotted: "Is This a Joke to You?"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1. "Cómo ___ usted?"
Hint: Think "How are you?" in Spanish. Four letters starting with E.
5. Material analyzed in a paternity test kit, for short
Hint: Your genetic blueprint. Three letters.
8. Participate in a costumed gaming activity, casually
Hint: Live-action role-playing, abbreviated into four letters.
9. Large bodies of water
Hint: Oceans and gulfs. Four letters.
10. B.L.T. spread
Hint: The creamy condiment that holds the sandwich together. Five letters.
11. Advertising award
Hint: The Golden statuettes handed out at a famous ad industry ceremony. Four letters.
12. Four-stringed guitars joke
Hint: It's a pun on a low-pitched musical phrase. Eight letters, two words.
14. Showing no emotion
Hint: Unflappable and unreadable. Five letters.
15. Dentist tools joke
Hint: Another pun, think of the rotary tool plus something tedious. Eight letters, two words.
18. "___ wasn't built in a day!"
Hint: The Eternal City. Four letters.
19. "I wasn't ___ yesterday!"
Hint: A retort meaning "I'm not naive." Four letters.
21. "'Tis a pity"
Hint: An expression of regret or sadly. Four letters starting with A.
22. Feast that may include kalua pig
Hint: A Hawaiian party with food and music. Four letters.
23. Interjection that's aptly similar to "Man!"
Hint: An exclamation of surprise. Three letters.
24. "Monday Night Football" channel
Hint: The sports network with four letters.
Down Hints
1. Durable furniture wood
Hint: A strong hardwood. Three letters.
2. Bygone Swedish automaker
Hint: Known for quirky, boxy designs. Four letters.
3. "Despite my best efforts ..."
Hint: "No matter how hard I try ..." Nine letters, starts with T.
4. Diners with Jesus at the Last Supper
Hint: The original disciples. Eight letters.
5. "Mmm, that's tasty!"
Hint: A synonym for scrumptious. Nine letters starting with D.
6. Babe in the woods
Hint: An innocent or naive person. Four letters, French-influenced spelling.
7. Beginning on
Hint: A formal term for the effective start date. Four letters starting with A.
9. Write sloppily, as a signature
Hint: To scrawl or doodle. Eight letters starting with S.
13. Note between "fa" and "la"
Hint: A musical note in the solfège scale. Three letters.
15. Visually blah
Hint: Dull, colorless, uninspiring. Four letters starting with D.
16. Caramel-and-chocolate candy
Hint: A wrapped, chewy candy. Four letters starting with R.
17. Snare
Hint: A trap or a trick. Four letters.
20. Member of a convent
Hint: A sister. Three letters.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1. "Cómo ___ usted?"
Answer: ESTA
5. Material analyzed in a paternity test kit, for short
Answer: DNA
8. Participate in a costumed gaming activity, casually
Answer: LARP
9. Large bodies of water
Answer: SEAS
10. B.L.T. spread
Answer: MAYO
11. Advertising award
Answer: CLIO
12. Four-stringed guitars joke
Answer: BASSRIFF
14. Showing no emotion
Answer: STOIC
15. Dentist tools joke
Answer: DRILLBIT
18. "___ wasn't built in a day!"
Answer: ROME
19. "I wasn't ___ yesterday!"
Answer: BORN
21. "'Tis a pity"
Answer: ALAS
22. Feast that may include kalua pig
Answer: LUAU
23. Interjection that's aptly similar to "Man!"
Answer: BOY
24. "Monday Night Football" channel
Answer: ESPN
Down Answers
1. Durable furniture wood
Answer: ELM
2. Bygone Swedish automaker
Answer: SAAB
3. "Despite my best efforts ..."
Answer: TRYASIMAY
4. Diners with Jesus at the Last Supper
Answer: APOSTLES
5. "Mmm, that's tasty!"
Answer: DELICIOUS
6. Babe in the woods
Answer: NAIF
7. Beginning on
Answer: ASOF
9. Write sloppily, as a signature
Answer: SCRIBBLE
13. Note between "fa" and "la"
Answer: SOL
15. Visually blah
Answer: DRAB
16. Caramel-and-chocolate candy
Answer: ROLO
17. Snare
Answer: TRAP
20. Member of a convent
Answer: NUN
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 12A "Four-stringed guitars joke" for BASSRIFF. The clue flags itself as a joke, and the payoff lands. A bass riff is a musical phrase on the lowest-pitched guitar, but the solver has to hear the pun: "bass" as in low frequency, not the fish. The same trick repeats at 15A with DRILLBIT, where "drill" works both as a dentist's tool and a monotonous activity.
Wordplay Winner: 12A and 15A form a matched pair. Both are eight-letter answers, both are labeled "joke," and both rely on compound puns. Recognizing the pattern in 12A makes 15A solve faster.
Quick Fill: 5A "Material analyzed in a paternity test kit, for short" for DNA. Three letters, universally known, and it serves up easy crosses for 1A (ESTA) and 8A (LARP).
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
When a clue is flagged with a descriptor like "joke" or "casually," the constructor is giving you a genre cue. Treat it as a shortcut. BASSRIFF and DRILLBIT both signal their wordplay structure through that label, so you can solve the second one in half the time after cracking the first.
Short fill answers (ELM, SOL, NUN, BOY) are designed to reward solvers who work the long entries first. Placing BASSRIFF and DRILLBIT early unlocks the shorter verticals around them significantly faster than starting from the corners.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The next Midi drops tomorrow. How did today's grid treat you? The pun pair at 12A and 15A is a construction trick worth filing away for future puzzles. Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at the next grid.
