Hard ___ (head protectors)

Editorially verified for the Aug 20, 2026

2 Down

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Yellow hard hats used as protective headgear

Clue explained

HATS are head protectors worn on construction sites and in other hazardous workplaces; “hard hats” is the standard compound phrase. The plural form matches the plural clue wording.

Clue type:
Definition

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 20, 2026 appearance

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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"

The answer to “Hard ___ (head protectors)” in the New York Times Midi crossword is HATS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 20, 2026 at 2-Down. 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.

“Hard ___ (head protectors)” answer

HATS (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 HATS.

What does HATS mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of HATS is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a shaped covering for the head worn for warmth, as a fashion item, or as part of a uniform

When else has “Hard ___ (head protectors)” 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) → HATS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Hard ___ (head protectors)”?

The answer is HATS, 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 “Hard ___ (head protectors)”?

4 letters: HATS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 20, 2026, at 2-Down.

Can “Hard ___ (head protectors)” 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.

New York Times Midi Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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