Poorly hidden item under a welcome mat, perhaps

The answer to “Poorly hidden item under a welcome mat, perhaps” in the New York Times Midi crossword is KEY — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on April 16, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 30-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.

“Poorly hidden item under a welcome mat, perhaps” answer

KEY (3 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is KEY.

Why the answer is KEY

KEY is the 3-letter solution that fits "Poorly hidden item under a welcome mat, perhaps" in the NYT Midi crossword on April 16, 2026 (30-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does KEY mean?

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

When else has “Poorly hidden item under a welcome mat, perhaps” 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.

April 16, 2026 (most recent) → KEY. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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