Our NYT Midi Crossword Hints for May 21, 2026 will help you work your way through the mid-size grid if a clue has you stumped. The New York Times Midi Crossword sits between the Mini and the full-sized puzzle in both size and difficulty, offering a satisfying challenge without the time commitment of the daily 15×15. It’s designed for solvers who want something meatier than the Mini but still approachable enough to finish in a short session. The Midi is published daily online and has become a favorite for players looking to sharpen their skills.
NYT Midi Crossword Hints, May 21, 2026
Below you’ll find hints for every clue in the NYT Midi Crossword for 5/21/26. You can click or tap on any clue to jump to its dedicated page for more detail, including definitions and additional guidance. If you prefer a lighter nudge, you can reveal letters one at a time to keep the puzzle challenging without giving away the full answer immediately.
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1A. Shape of a poker chip or tiddlywink
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5A. Feminine family nickname
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8A. Folk singer Guthrie
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9A. "I ___ What You Did Last Summer" (2025 film)
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10A. State whose official cuisine is gumbo
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12A. Liverpool's land: Abbr.
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13A. Surprising plot development
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14A. Swing one's limbs around erratically
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16A. “Nice one!”
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18A. Mediocre, in Gen Z slang
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21A. Saxophone-playing daughter on "The Simpsons"
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22A. Fast-swimming shark
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23A. Chooses (to)
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24A. "A Room With a ___"
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25A. Toward sunset
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26A. Blueprint
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1D. Racer ___ Earnhardt Jr.
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2D. Mass-produced metal starting around 1200 B.C.
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3D. Intense, high-scoring baseball games
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4D. Fish in a Japanese pond
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5D. Postal delivery, colloquially
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6D. Charged particles
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7D. Whack, as a fly
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9D. Fuzzy fruit
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11D. Nurse's "On the double!"
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15D. Most's opposite
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16D. With 20-Down, "Don't go so fast!" ... or how you might describe the shaded squares?
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17D. Towel (off)
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19D. Big name in minimalist furniture
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20D. See 16 Down
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22D. Award for Giannis Antetokounmpo in '19 and '20
If you enjoy the Midi, you might also like stepping up to the full NYT Crossword, which offers a deeper challenge with its 15×15 weekday grids and the larger 21×21 Sunday puzzle. New crosswords are released at 10PM ET on weekdays and 6PM ET on weekends.
If you’re still struggling to solve your NYT crosswords, consider practicing with the Eugene Sheffer and Thomas Joseph dailies first. If you’re looking for similarly challenging crosswords, we recommend the WSJ Crossword and LA Times Crossword.
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