Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and Tuesday's grid brings a music-themed yoga flow that's equal parts clever and stretchy. Three back-stretching yoga poses named after blues, country, and soul legends anchor the puzzle, making this one of the more playful Tuesday grids in recent weeks. 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: 30 (15 Across, 15 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 11A. "Back-stretching yoga pose by blues musician B.B.?" The wordplay layers a snake pose name on a musician's stage name, a double pun that rewards pop culture knowledge and yoga familiarity.
Gimme Clue: 10A. "Sound from a lion" Three letters, common knowledge, no tricks.
Theme Spotted: "Flexible Performers"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Coffee, slangily
Hint: Four letters. Also a programming language named after an island.
5A. Ran, as colors in the laundry
Hint: Four letters. What happens when you wash a red sock with whites.
9A. Spanish dessert akin to crème caramel
Hint: Four letters. Starts with F. A custard with caramel sauce.
10A. Sound from a lion
Hint: Four letters. The MGM lion does this before the film starts.
11A. Back-stretching yoga pose by blues musician B.B.?
Hint: Eight letters. Combine the king of the blues with a serpentine yoga pose.
13A. Like bass, among the four major singing voices
Hint: Six letters. The lowest of the vocal ranges.
14A. Native of Helsinki
Hint: Four letters. From the land of saunas and Nokia.
15A. Back-stretching yoga pose by country singer Clint?
Hint: Eight letters. Combine the country singer's last name with a feline yoga pose.
19A. Dalai ___
Hint: Four letters. Tibetan spiritual leader.
20A. Unwanted smell in a gym bag
Hint: Four letters. Starts with O. Not a pleasant scent.
22A. Where cookies cook
Hint: Four letters. Hot, enclosed space. Not a microwave.
23A. Path behind a motorboat
Hint: Four letters. Also what you do when you get up from a nap.
24A. Thick rolls of dough
Hint: Four letters. Starts with W. A slang term for stacks of cash.
25A. Pre-___ student
Hint: Three letters. The degree you earn before pursuing an M.D. or J.D.
Down Hints
1D. Big Apple airport, in brief
Hint: Three letters. Three famous initials. Not LaGuardia.
2D. Muhammad who said "I am the greatest..."
Hint: Three letters. The greatest boxer of all time.
3D. Rental for movers
Hint: Three letters. Three wheels. Big box on the back.
4D. Adherents of the Church of England
Hint: Nine letters. Followers of the Anglican faith.
5D. Back-stretching yoga pose by soul artist James?
Hint: Seven letters. Combine the godfather of soul's last name with a farm animal yoga pose.
6D. Often-pierced part of 7-Down
Hint: Four letters. Jewelry often goes here on the side of the head.
7D. Wet behind the ___
Hint: Four letters. An idiom for being inexperienced.
8D. "Aw, shucks!"
Hint: Four letters. A mild exclamation of disappointment. Starts with D.
12D. Thwack on the head
Hint: Four letters. A sharp knock. Slang term. Starts with C.
14D. Renowned
Hint: Five letters. Famous. Well-known. Starts with F.
15D. Try to extinguish birthday candles
Hint: Four letters. What you do before making a wish.
16D. The floor is ___
Hint: Four letters. A children's game. Also molten rock.
17D. Singer Levine of Maroon 5
Hint: Four letters. The lead vocalist. First name.
18D. Puff from a pipe
Hint: Four letters. A slang term for a drag of smoke.
21D. Color of the circle on Japan's flag
Hint: Three letters. The color of the rising sun.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Coffee, slangily
Answer: JAVA
5A. Ran, as colors in the laundry
Answer: BLED
9A. Spanish dessert akin to crème caramel
Answer: FLAN
10A. Sound from a lion
Answer: ROAR
11A. Back-stretching yoga pose by blues musician B.B.?
Answer: KINGCOBRA
13A. Like bass, among the four major singing voices
Answer: LOWEST
14A. Native of Helsinki
Answer: FINN
15A. Back-stretching yoga pose by country singer Clint?
Answer: BLACKCAT
19A. Dalai ___
Answer: LAMA
20A. Unwanted smell in a gym bag
Answer: ODOR
22A. Where cookies cook
Answer: OVEN
23A. Path behind a motorboat
Answer: WAKE
24A. Thick rolls of dough
Answer: WADS
25A. Pre-___ student
Answer: MED
Down Answers
1D. Big Apple airport, in brief
Answer: JFK
2D. Muhammad who said "I am the greatest..."
Answer: ALI
3D. Rental for movers
Answer: VAN
4D. Adherents of the Church of England
Answer: ANGLICANS
5D. Back-stretching yoga pose by soul artist James?
Answer: BROWNCOW
6D. Often-pierced part of 7-Down
Answer: LOBE
7D. Wet behind the ___
Answer: EARS
8D. "Aw, shucks!"
Answer: DRAT
12D. Thwack on the head
Answer: CONK
14D. Renowned
Answer: FAMED
15D. Try to extinguish birthday candles
Answer: BLOW
16D. The floor is ___
Answer: LAVA
17D. Singer Levine of Maroon 5
Answer: ADAM
18D. Puff from a pipe
Answer: TOKE
21D. Color of the circle on Japan's flag
Answer: RED
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 11A. "Back-stretching yoga pose by blues musician B.B.?" for KINGCOBRA. This is the puzzle's centerpiece, a triple-layer construction that combines a musician (B.B. King), a yoga pose (Cobra Pose), and a snake (king cobra) into one satisfying answer. It's the kind of clue that rewards solvers who can hold multiple associations at once.
Wordplay Winner: 5D. "Back-stretching yoga pose by soul artist James?" for BROWNCOW. The same mechanic as the Across theme entries but with a different animal, Downward-Facing Dog's cousin gets renamed for the godfather of soul. James Brown + Cow Pose = BROWNCOW. The symmetry with KINGCOBRA and BLACKCAT makes this a cohesive theme set.
Quick Fill: 10A. "Sound from a lion" for ROAR. Four letters, one obvious answer. Every solver gets this in under a second, making it the perfect entry point into the grid.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
When a clue follows a repeating pattern, three clues all structured as "[Yoga pose] by [musician]?", solve one and you've cracked them all. The theme entries (11A, 15A, 5D) are the longest answers in the grid. Identify the pattern early and these become freebies instead of head-scratchers.
Short Across entries like BLED (5A) and ODOR (20A) are common crossword staples. Memorize frequent four-letter fill words (JAVA, FLAN, OVEN, WAKE, WADS) and you'll clear the bottom half of this grid in under a minute. The 9x9 format rewards vocabulary density over obscure trivia.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The next Midi drops tomorrow. How did today's grid treat you? If the KINGCOBRA/BLACKCAT/BROWNCOW triple play clicked, you're ready for more themed puzzles. Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at the next grid.
