The NYT Midi Crossword is a delightful challenge that ticks green on the difficulty curve but still requires at least 5-6 minutes of your undivided attention. It slots right in between the traditional Crossword and the Mini, offering a puzzle that’s somewhat easy to solve, but moderately lengthy – hence the “Midi.” But as is the case with any crossword, some terms can be tricky to uncover. Rest assured, you’re in the right place, as we provide the NYT Midi hints and answers for the theme “Party Animal” on August 27, 2026.
NYT Midi Crossword Hints and Answers Today for August 27
The NYT Midi Crossword comes in a grid of either 9×9, 11×11, or somewhere in between every day. In terms of difficulty, these crosswords are designed to be easy and accessible, so you don’t need to worry about the challenge getting steeper as the week draws on. If you need a specific NYT Midi hint to keep your streak alive, check our solver below.
What really sets the Midi Crossword apart from its NYT contemporaries is the daily theme. Just like today’s Strands puzzle, the crossword carries a new theme every day, which dictates its many clues and answers. Moreover, the grid’s designs are asymmetrical, with the constructors confirming that at least one weekly puzzle will carry animations and colorful visual patterns.
If you’re looking to learn more about the game, including useful tips and strategies, be sure to check out our guide on how to play the Midi Crossword.
With all that out of the way, here are today’s Midi Crossword hints and answers for August 27, 2026, which carries the theme – Party Animal:
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How to play
Click a cell to reveal its letter.
Click a revealed cell again to toggle Across / Down.
Click “Reveal all” to show the full solution.
Click on a clue to highlight its answer cells.
1Sci-fi saga with sandworms
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Hint 1:
Written by Frank Herbert, later made into films by Denis Villeneuve.
Hint 2:
Set on the desert planet Arrakis.
5High-maintenance headliner
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Hint 1:
Word for a demanding star, often used for opera singers.
Hint 2:
Someone who insists on getting their own way backstage.
9Gadget pitched as "1,000 songs in your pocket"
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Hint 1:
Apple's classic portable music player from the 2000s.
Hint 2:
Known for its scrollable click wheel.
10Big heads
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Hint 1:
What gets bruised when pride is hurt.
Hint 2:
Plural word for excessive self-importance.
11Does some light running
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Hint 1:
Slower than sprinting, often for exercise.
Hint 2:
What you might do around the block each morning.
12Spy within an organization
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Hint 1:
An insider secretly feeding info to outsiders.
Hint 2:
Also a small burrowing critter or a skin marking.
13Yoko from Tokyo
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Hint 1:
Musician and artist known as John Lennon's wife.
Hint 2:
Her last name sounds just like an exclamation of dismay.
14Entry-level Volkswagen sedan
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Hint 1:
A compact VW model that's been around for decades.
Hint 2:
Sits below the Passat in the lineup.
15Entry-level MacBook that debuted in 2026
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Hint 1:
Apple's budget laptop that runs on an iPhone-style chip.
Hint 2:
Comes in bright colors like citrus and indigo.
16Grain in an açaí bowl
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Hint 1:
Often sprinkled as flakes or granola on top.
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The main ingredient in a warm breakfast porridge.
17Lil Jon's collaborator on "Turn Down for What"
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Hint 1:
This French producer also made "Lean On" with Major Lazer.
Hint 2:
Trace the circled letters in the grid to reveal his stage name.
21Biblical figure swallowed by a big swimmer
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Hint 1:
Spent three days inside a great fish in the Old Testament.
Hint 2:
His story comes up whenever someone's "swallowed whole."
23Slim ___ (meat stick)
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Hint 1:
Pair it with "Slim" for a well-known snack brand.
Hint 2:
Also a casual short form of "James."
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Hint 1:
The adjective for sheep, like "canine" is for dogs.
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Used to describe wool or flocks.
25Stately shade tree
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Hint 1:
Classic tree once common along American streets.
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Also part of a famous horror-movie street name.
26Made some cookies, e.g.
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Hint 1:
What you did in the oven before letting them cool.
Hint 2:
Past tense of a common oven-cooking method.
27North Pole export
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Hint 1:
Something Santa's workshop is famous for producing.
Hint 2:
What you might find wrapped under a tree.
1Mustard variety with bite
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Hint 1:
Named after a French city known for this condiment.
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Sharper and tangier than the yellow ballpark kind.
2Winning by a very small margin
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Hint 1:
A phrase heard in golf match play for a slim lead.
Hint 2:
Think "ahead by a single point."
3Scoundrel
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Hint 1:
Yiddish-flavored slang for someone who's trouble.
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Literally describes a person who's "no good."
4Magazine staffers, for short
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Hint 1:
Short for the people who approve articles before print.
Hint 2:
Look for this abbreviation in a masthead credit.
5Discredit
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Hint 1:
To lower someone's dignity or reputation.
Hint 2:
A synonym for "belittle" or "put down."
6"See you later!"
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Hint 1:
A casual phrase for needing to dash off quickly.
Hint 2:
"Jet" here works as a verb, not the vehicle.
7What "V" stands for on a battery
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Hint 1:
Unit of electrical potential, named after an Italian physicist.
Hint 2:
You'll see this printed on batteries next to a number.
8On the ocean
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Hint 1:
Common crossword word for being out on open water.
Hint 2:
Sailors might describe themselves this way while sailing.
14Kidded around
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Hint 1:
Past tense of a word meaning to tease someone playfully.
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What you did if you were just ribbing a friend, not being serious.
18___ Goodall, noted chimpanzee expert
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Hint 1:
Famous primatologist who studied chimps in Tanzania.
Hint 2:
Shares a first name with Tarzan's love interest.
19Approximately 2.2 pounds, for short
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Hint 1:
Shortened form of a metric mass unit.
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Also slang for a large quantity in crime movies.
20The "E" of EGOT
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Hint 1:
Award for outstanding television achievement.
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Joins Grammy, Oscar, and Tony to complete the acronym.
21Cosmologist or cosmetologist
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Hint 1:
What both professions basically are, generally speaking.
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Something you'd ask "what's your ___?" about.
22Reproductive cells
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Hint 1:
Plural term for female egg cells.
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Comes up in biology lessons about fertilization.
If you’re ready to move on to other NYT puzzles, be sure to check out today’s Wordle hints and answer right here.
Difficulty Level for NYT Midi Crossword Answers Today
Based on my experience, the difficulty level for finding today’s NYT Midi answer was a 2 out of 5.
It’s important to mention that these medium-sized crosswords are generally super easy. Even if the difficulty rating reaches 5, the puzzle will still be much simpler than the intense and brain-teasing NYT Crossword. With that context in mind, my personal rating assesses the relative complexity of today’s Midi Crossword compared to previous editions.
Today’s grid leaned playful, with a slangy long entry like NOGOODNIK and a casual phrase like IGOTTAJET adding a bit of a curveball for solvers used to shorter fills. A timely tech clue for NEO (Apple’s newer entry-level MacBook) and a food-themed nod to DIJON kept things feeling current and fun.
The rest of the grid solved quickly, with familiar fills like OAT, ELM, TOY, and JOGS moving the puzzle along at a comfortable pace from start to finish.
Yesterday’s NYT Midi Crossword Hints
If the puzzle above isn’t the NYT Midi crossword you require assistance with, then you are likely looking for yesterday’s solutions. Yesterday’s Midi theme was “Both Sides Now,” and it scored a 2 out of 5 on our difficulty scale.
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How to play
Click a cell to reveal its letter.
Click a revealed cell again to toggle Across / Down.
Click “Reveal all” to show the full solution.
Click on a clue to highlight its answer cells.
1"That ___ say…" (I mean…)
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Hint 1:
Two tiny words you'd say right before rephrasing something more clearly.
Hint 2:
Often follows "that" when you're about to clarify a statement.
5Aunt, in Spanish
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Hint 1:
Your mom's sister would be called this in Mexico or Spain
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Sounds a bit like "tea-ah."
8Engagement at the end of "Hamilton"
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Hint 1:
Pistols at dawn settled this famous historical dispute.
Hint 2:
Burr and Hamilton had one of these on the banks of the Hudson.
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Hint 1:
Something you might do to a puppy's snout while saying it out loud.
Hint 2:
A cutesy sound-effect word, often paired with "the snoot."
10"Oh, that was lying"
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Hint 1:
What a kid might confess after telling a tall tale.
Hint 2:
Admission that a story was pure fiction.
12Walking is good exercise … you might get to drive a cart … swinging a club will strengthen your arms, etc.?
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Hint 1:
People who give lessons to help lower your handicap.
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You'd book a lesson with one of these at a country club.
13Get ___ of (throw out
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Hint 1:
Pairs with "get" when you want to be done with something for good.
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The opposite of holding onto something.
14The panels are hard to read … people might say you don't read "real" books … you might laugh too loud in public, etc.?
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Hint 1:
Fan conventions full of cosplay and autograph lines.
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Events where superhero and manga fans gather.
20Skinny woodwind instrument
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Hint 1:
The orchestra tunes up to this instrument's pitch.
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Known for its reedy, nasal tone.
21(base x height)/2, for a triangle
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Hint 1:
What you'd calculate to know how much surface a shape covers.
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Expressed in square units.
22"Is This Thing On?" actress Laura
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Hint 1:
She played Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park.
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Daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd.
23Air mattress annoyance
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Hint 1:
Why you might wake up on the tent floor during a camping trip.
Hint 2:
What a patch kit is meant to seal.
24Took a good look at
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Hint 1:
What a jeweler does before appraising a gem.
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Studied something warily or admiringly.
25Traditional stories
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Hint 1:
The backstory behind a fantasy world or video game universe.
Hint 2:
Passed-down legends and mythology of a culture.
1"Understood"
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Hint 1:
A retro, hip way of saying you're totally following along.
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Slang popular in mid-20th-century jazz culture.
2Sport in which the highest rank is yokozuna
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Hint 1:
Hefty wrestlers try to push each other out of a circular ring.
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A traditional Japanese sport with ceremonial salt-tossing.
3Blue-green color
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Hint 1:
Named after a duck with this color patch on its wing.
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A popular shade for spa-style bathroom decor.
4Buddy from way back
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Hint 1:
Someone you've known since childhood.
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Who you'd catch up with at a high school reunion.
5Classic film dog with a repetitive name
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Hint 1:
Dorothy's little companion in a famous 1939 movie.
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Present when someone says "we're not in Kansas anymore."
6"Will settle up later" slips
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Hint 1:
Informal notes for money you owe a friend.
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What you'd scribble if you forgot your wallet at a poker game.
7TikTok or Threads
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Hint 1:
Something you'd download from your phone's store.
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A single icon that lives on your home screen.
9Swan song?
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Hint 1:
What a birdwatcher might try to imitate in the woods.
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The noise a decoy device makes to attract wildlife.
11Awe-inspiring
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Hint 1:
What gamers call a legendary, unforgettable victory.
Hint 2:
Homer's long narrative poems belong to this genre.
14What these Morse letters aptly spell: -.-. — -.. .
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Hint 1:
Morse itself is a type of this.
Hint 2:
Something a programmer writes in Python or Java.
15Follow orders
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Hint 1:
What a well-trained dog does on command.
Hint 2:
The opposite of rebelling.
16"That's not nearly enough!"
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Hint 1:
What a hungry toddler shouts at dinner.
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Oliver Twist famously asked for this with his empty bowl.
17Cookie that may be twisted open
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Hint 1:
A chocolate sandwich cookie with cream filling.
Hint 2:
Popular for dunking in a glass of milk.
18Not distant
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Hint 1:
Close by, in a word.
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The opposite of "far."
19Japanese rice wine
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Hint 1:
Often served warm in small ceramic cups.
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A classic pairing with sushi.
How to Solve the NYT Midi Crossword Today
Since the NYT Midi Crossword is a relatively new puzzle game, coming to grips with its format and asymmetrical design can be tricky. So, here are some tips and tricks to help you find the NYT Midi answer today without spoiling the fun:
Start with the obvious entries: Just like warming up before a big game, the best approach is to begin with the clues you know immediately. Filling in a few obvious answers gives you letters that can help unlock tougher clues elsewhere in the grid.
Use the crossings to your advantage: Every NYT Midi answer in the crossword intersects with another. If a clue has you stuck, check the letters you’ve already filled in from crossing words. Even one or two confirmed letters can point you toward the correct answer.
Ignore interchangeable letters/multiple clues: Occasionally, the Midi Crossword will feature multiple clues denoted by arrows. Their respective cells will also feature the arrow, indicating that the letters are swappable. Our advice is to ignore this mechanic entirely. Don’t get caught up in the artificial complexity and focus on the one clue that you’re more familiar with. That’s really all you need to do to progress through the grid.
That’s all for today’s NYT Midi Crossword hints and answers guide. If you struggled with the puzzle, remember that you can always start the next day anew, and we’ll be back with simple hints to help you out. In the meantime, check out today’s Contexto answer or browse the latest NYT Spelling Bee answers to keep going.
What is today’s NYT Midi Crossword theme?
The theme for today’s NYT Midi Crossword on August 27, 2026, is ”Party Animal”.
What is the hint for the August 27 NYT Midi Crossword ‘Yoko from Tokyo’?
The clue for ‘Yoko from Tokyo’ in today’s Midi Crossword is “Musician and artist known as John Lennon’s wife”.
What is the hint for the August 27 NYT Midi Crossword ‘Biblical figure swallowed by a big swimmer’?
The clue for ‘Biblical figure swallowed by a big swimmer’ in today’s Midi Crossword is “Spent three days inside a great fish in the Old Testament”.
What is the hint for August 27 NYT Midi Crossword ‘_ Goodall, noted chimpanzee expert’?
The clue for ‘_ Goodall, noted chimpanzee expert’ in today’s Midi Crossword is “Famous primatologist who studied chimps in Tanzania”.
Is the NYT Midi Crossword free to play?
No, the Midi is a subscriber-exclusive game. You need a New York Times Games subscription or a Home Delivery subscription to play.
NYT Midi Crossword (also known as The Midi) is the perfect balance between the traditional longer Crossword and the quicker Mini. It gives you enough challenge, while not taking too much time to solve. Like other NYT games, this daily […]
Sanmay Chakrabarti
