Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and Thursday's grid builds a clever mini-narrative around a bug-eating plant and the insect that got away. At 9x11 with 42 clues, it lands on the trickier side of the Midi spectrum, thanks to a two-part rebus-style answer and some slang that might trip up solvers.
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: 9x11
Total Clues: 42 (25 Across, 17 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 15-Down (with 12-Down). The cross-referencing clue requires knowing the Venus flytrap connection to decode both entries.
Gimme Clue: 1-Down "You'll ___ for this!" An instant fill that gets the grid started.
Theme Spotted: "Open and Shut Case"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1. Instrumental group at a halftime performance
Hint: Think marching band musicians. Two words, seven letters total.
8. Huffington who co-founded The Huffington Post
Hint: First name of the Greek-American author and activist. Seven letters.
9. Cruised the open waters on a fancy boat
Hint: Past tense of what wealthy boat owners do. Seven letters.
10. Tuna variety
Hint: The kind used in poke bowls and sashimi. Three letters.
11. Prickly and brusque
Hint: How you'd describe someone with a short temper. Five letters.
13. Departure from the norm
Hint: A statistical outlier. Seven letters.
15. By way of
Hint: A Latin preposition meaning "through." Three letters.
16. Tree with red berrylike fruit
Hint: Evergreen tree often found in cemeteries. Three letters.
18. The only consonants in "one-on-one"
Hint: Say the phrase aloud. Three letters, all the same consonant.
19. ___ Heel State
Hint: North Carolina's nickname. Three letters.
20. To the ___ degree
Hint: Means "utmost" or "maximum." Three letters.
21. Letter before sigma in the Greek alphabet
Hint: Looks like our letter P. Three letters.
22. Employ, as a talent
Hint: A short synonym for "hire." Three letters.
23. Insect lucky enough to elude the 15-/12-Down
Hint: The prey that escaped the predator. Three letters.
24. Roll of grass
Hint: What landscapers lay down for a new lawn. Three letters.
25. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" author
Hint: Master of macabre. Three letters.
Down Hints
1. "You'll ___ for this!"
Hint: What you do when a bill is due. Three letters.
2. Long period of history
Hint: Think geological time. Three letters.
3. Roguish person, from Spanish
Hint: A scoundrel or rascal. Six letters.
4. Scrooge's "Harrumph!"
Hint: The miser's catchphrase from "A Christmas Carol." Nine letters, two words.
5. Political group opposing far-right ideologies
Hint: Abbreviated name, often in headlines. Six letters.
6. Opposite of SSW
Hint: Compass direction. Three letters.
7. Youth soccer coach, perhaps
Hint: A parent. Three letters.
11. Ground together, as teeth
Hint: What you might do in your sleep when stressed. Seven letters.
12. See 15-Down
Hint: Part of the plant's name. Seven letters.
13. "That's just doggone wrong!"
Hint: A Southern-style expression of disbelief. Six letters.
14. "Nice idea ... but that's not happening"
Hint: An informal dismissive phrase. Six letters.
15. With 12-Down, bug-eating plant
Hint: First half of the plant's Latin-ish name. Five letters.
17. Scribbled down
Hint: Past tense of putting pen to paper. Five letters.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1. Instrumental group at a halftime performance
Answer: PEPBAND
8. Huffington who co-founded The Huffington Post
Answer: ARIANNA
9. Cruised the open waters on a fancy boat
Answer: YACHTED
10. Tuna variety
Answer: AHI
11. Prickly and brusque
Answer: GRUFF
13. Departure from the norm
Answer: ANOMALY
15. By way of
Answer: VIA
16. Tree with red berrylike fruit
Answer: YEW
18. The only consonants in "one-on-one"
Answer: ENS
19. ___ Heel State
Answer: TAR
20. To the ___ degree
Answer: NTH
21. Letter before sigma in the Greek alphabet
Answer: RHO
22. Employ, as a talent
Answer: USE
23. Insect lucky enough to elude the 15-/12-Down
Answer: ANT
24. Roll of grass
Answer: SOD
25. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" author
Answer: POE
Down Answers
1. "You'll ___ for this!"
Answer: PAY
2. Long period of history
Answer: ERA
3. Roguish person, from Spanish
Answer: PICARO
4. Scrooge's "Harrumph!"
Answer: BAHHUMBUG
5. Political group opposing far-right ideologies
Answer: ANTIFA
6. Opposite of SSW
Answer: NNE
7. Youth soccer coach, perhaps
Answer: DAD
11. Ground together, as teeth
Answer: GNASHED
12. See 15-Down
Answer: FLYTRAP
13. "That's just doggone wrong!"
Answer: AINTSO
14. "Nice idea ... but that's not happening"
Answer: YEAHNO
15. With 12-Down, bug-eating plant
Answer: VENUS
17. Scribbled down
Answer: WROTE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 18-Across "The only consonants in 'one-on-one'" for ENS. The clue asks solvers to phonetically parse the phrase and pull out the repeated N sound. It's a clever bit of meta-wordplay that rewards saying the clue out loud.
Wordplay Winner: 23-Across "Insect lucky enough to elude the 15-/12-Down" for ANT. The cross-referencing clue connects to the theme entries VENUS (15D) and FLYTRAP (12D), creating a mini-story about an ant that dodged the carnivorous plant. It's the payoff for solving the theme.
Quick Fill: 1-Down "You'll ___ for this!" for PAY. An instant gimme that offers a clean entry point into the top of the grid.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Cross-referencing clues like 15-Down "With 12-Down" and 23-Across "elude the 15-/12-Down" require solving both entries before the relationship snaps into focus. When you see a clue pointing to another clue number, park it and solve the surrounding fill first. The connection usually reveals itself once you have a few letters.
Thursday grids often include slang and informal entries like AINTSO and YEAHNO. If a short answer isn't matching your vocabulary, try reading it as a phonetic contraction of a spoken phrase. YEAHNO is a perfect example: it's the casual dismissal "yeah, no" compressed into six letters.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The next Midi drops tomorrow. How did today's grid treat you? The Venus flytrap narrative and the ENS wordplay gave this Thursday puzzle some real personality. Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at the next grid.
