Breakfast food chain

Latest answer — August 20, 2026

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Clue decoded

IHOP is the familiar U.S. breakfast-food restaurant chain, known especially for pancakes and other morning dishes.

Clue type:
Definition
An IHOP restaurant serving pancakes and other breakfast foods

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 20, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Breakfast food chain
  2. 5Big ___, Sesame Street resident with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  3. 9Magician's exclamation
  4. 10Smoothie bowl berry
  5. 11Mix, as soup
  6. 12Facial feature stroked when thinking, perhaps
  7. 13Eating between lunch and dinner, say
  8. 15Barbell units: Abbr.
  9. 16"It's safe to enter"
  10. 21Neo-soul singer India.___
  11. 22Vocalist who might sing the middle part in a harmony
  12. 23Web programmer's code
  13. 24See 4-Down
  14. 25"Agreed," at sea
  15. 26"When I'm feeling ___, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!" (lyric from "The Sound of Music")

Down

  1. 1"___ the hard-knock life"
  2. 2Hard ___ (head protectors)
  3. 3Thor's dad
  4. 4With 24-Across, alone-together activity ... or a hint to the arrangement of this puzzle's circled letters
  5. 5Encouraging touches from teammates
  6. 6One, in Japanese
  7. 7Umbrella weather
  8. 8Bit of minor car damage
  9. 14North-of-the-border TV network
  10. 16Bohemian
  11. 17Light green
  12. 18Jazz legend Fitzgerald
  13. 19Slightly
  14. 20___ G. Biv (rainbow mnemonic)
  15. 21Exclamation during a "light bulb moment"

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Breakfast food chain — Answer: IHOP. Hint: This restaurant chain is known for pancakes and all-day breakfast. 🥞
  2. 5. Big ___, Sesame Street resident with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — Answer: BIRD. Hint: Think of the tall, yellow Muppet who lives on Sesame Street. 🐦
  3. 9. Magician's exclamation — Answer: TADA. Hint: A showman may shout this after a trick succeeds. ✨
  4. 10. Smoothie bowl berry — Answer: ACAI. Hint: This deep-purple tropical berry often tops blended bowls. 🫐
  5. 11. Mix, as soup — Answer: STIR. Hint: Use a spoon to combine the ingredients. 🥄
  6. 12. Facial feature stroked when thinking, perhaps — Answer: CHIN. Hint: A hand may rest here during deep thought. 🤔
  7. 13. Eating between lunch and dinner, say — Answer: SNACKING. Hint: This describes having a small bite between regular meals. 🍎
  8. 15. Barbell units: Abbr. — Answer: LBS. Hint: These abbreviated weight units measure how heavy the plates are. 🏋️
  9. 16. "It's safe to enter" — Answer: ALLCLEAR. Hint: This reassuring message means danger has passed. ✅
  10. 21. Neo-soul singer India.___ — Answer: ARIE. Hint: Complete the name of this Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. 🎤
  11. 22. Vocalist who might sing the middle part in a harmony — Answer: ALTO. Hint: This voice type often fills the harmony between higher and lower parts. 🎶
  12. 23. Web programmer's code — Answer: HTML. Hint: This markup language provides the structure of a webpage. 💻
  13. 24. See 4-Down — Answer: PLAY. Hint: Check the referenced entry for a word connected with theater or recreation. 🎭
  14. 25. "Agreed," at sea — Answer: AYE. Hint: A sailor might use this nautical affirmation to say yes. ⚓
  15. 26. "When I'm feeling ___, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!" (lyric from "The Sound of Music") — Answer: SAD. Hint: The lyric names the opposite of feeling happy. 🎵

Down

  1. 1. "___ the hard-knock life" — Answer: ITS. Hint: The title begins with a contraction meaning “it is.” 🎭
  2. 2. Hard ___ (head protectors) — Answer: HATS. Hint: These protective items are worn on construction sites and by athletes. ⛑️
  3. 3. Thor's dad — Answer: ODIN. Hint: In Norse mythology, this god is the thunder hero’s father. ⚡
  4. 4. With 24-Across, alone-together activity ... or a hint to the arrangement of this puzzle's circled letters — Answer: PARALLEL. Hint: Think of two matching lines or paths moving alongside each other. ↔️
  5. 5. Encouraging touches from teammates — Answer: BACKSLAPS. Hint: Friendly pats on the back can celebrate a teammate’s success. 🙌
  6. 6. One, in Japanese — Answer: ICHI. Hint: This is the Japanese word used when counting the first number. 🇯🇵
  7. 7. Umbrella weather — Answer: RAIN. Hint: This forecast makes carrying an umbrella a wise choice. ☔
  8. 8. Bit of minor car damage — Answer: DING. Hint: A small dent from a bump is called this. 🚗
  9. 14. North-of-the-border TV network — Answer: CBC. Hint: This major Canadian broadcaster is known by its initials. 📺
  10. 16. Bohemian — Answer: ARTY. Hint: This adjective describes someone with a creative, unconventional style. 🎨
  11. 17. Light green — Answer: LIME. Hint: Think of the bright green shade associated with a citrus fruit. 🍋
  12. 18. Jazz legend Fitzgerald — Answer: ELLA. Hint: This iconic singer shared her surname with the author of The Great Gatsby. 🎙️
  13. 19. Slightly — Answer: ATAD. Hint: This means just a tiny bit. 🤏
  14. 20. ___ G. Biv (rainbow mnemonic) — Answer: ROY. Hint: Think of the familiar rainbow-color mnemonic, which sounds like a person’s name. 🌈
  15. 21. Exclamation during a "light bulb moment" — Answer: AHA. Hint: A sudden realization might prompt this delighted cry. 💡

Recent NYT Midi Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

NYT Midi 19 August 2026NYT Midi 18 August 2026NYT Midi 17 August 2026NYT Midi 16 August 2026NYT Midi 15 August 2026NYT Midi 14 August 2026NYT Midi 13 August 2026

The answer to “Breakfast food chain” in the New York Times Midi crossword is IHOP — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 20, 2026 at 1-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Breakfast food chain” answer

IHOP (4 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's IHOP.

When else has “Breakfast food chain” appeared?

New York Times Midi reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 20, 2026 (most recent) → IHOP. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More NYT Midi answers for August 20, 2026

Stuck on more than one square? Here's every other clue from the NYT Midi on August 20, 2026 — tap any clue for its answer and explanation.

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Want the whole grid in one place? The full NYT Midi answer list for August 20, 2026 is on the puzzle's answers page, and today's live NYT Midi answers are always one click away from the today page.

About the NYT Midi Crossword

The New York Times Midi is the mid-size daily puzzle between the Mini and the full crossword — typically a 7×7 grid that still rewards quick pattern recognition. Because the Midi is compact, one stubborn clue can jam the whole solve, which is why a confirmed answer and a short explanation help most when you're stuck on a single square.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Breakfast food chain”?

The answer is IHOP, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Breakfast food chain”?

4 letters: IHOP.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 20, 2026, at 1-Across.

Can “Breakfast food chain” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times Midi sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of today's NYT Midi answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the NYT Midi answers page.

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