NYT Midi Crossword Clues & Answers - May 21

Creeping Along

By Ian Livengood

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NYT Midi Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Shape of a poker chip or tiddlywink
  2. 5Feminine family nickname
  3. 8Folk singer Guthrie
  4. 9"I ___ What You Did Last Summer" (2025 film)
  5. 10State whose official cuisine is gumbo
  6. 12Liverpool's land: Abbr.
  7. 13Surprising plot development
  8. 14Swing one's limbs around erratically
  9. 16"Nice one!"
  10. 18Mediocre, in Gen Z slang
  11. 21Saxophone-playing daughter on "The Simpsons"
  12. 22Fast-swimming shark
  13. 23Chooses (to)
  14. 24"A Room With a ___"
  15. 25Toward sunset
  16. 26Blueprint

Down

  1. 1Racer ___ Earnhardt Jr.
  2. 2Mass-produced metal starting around 1200 B.C.
  3. 3Intense, high-scoring baseball games
  4. 4Fish in a Japanese pond
  5. 5Postal delivery, colloquially
  6. 6Charged particles
  7. 7Whack, as a fly
  8. 9Fuzzy fruit
  9. 11Nurse's "On the double!"
  10. 15Most's opposite
  11. 16With 20-Down, "Don't go so fast!" ... or how you might describe the shaded squares?
  12. 17Towel (off)
  13. 19Big name in minimalist furniture
  14. 20See 16-Down
  15. 22Award for Giannis Antetokounmpo in '19 and '20

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Shape of a poker chip or tiddlywink — Answer: DISK
  2. 5. Feminine family nickname — Answer: SIS
  3. 8. Folk singer Guthrie — Answer: ARLO
  4. 9. "I ___ What You Did Last Summer" (2025 film) — Answer: KNOW
  5. 10. State whose official cuisine is gumbo — Answer: LOUISIANA
  6. 12. Liverpool's land: Abbr. — Answer: ENG
  7. 13. Surprising plot development — Answer: TWIST
  8. 14. Swing one's limbs around erratically — Answer: FLAIL
  9. 16. "Nice one!" — Answer: SWEET
  10. 18. Mediocre, in Gen Z slang — Answer: MID
  11. 21. Saxophone-playing daughter on "The Simpsons" — Answer: LISA
  12. 22. Fast-swimming shark — Answer: MAKO
  13. 23. Chooses (to) — Answer: OPTS
  14. 24. "A Room With a ___" — Answer: VIEW
  15. 25. Toward sunset — Answer: WEST
  16. 26. Blueprint — Answer: PLAN

Down

  1. 1. Racer ___ Earnhardt Jr. — Answer: DALE
  2. 2. Mass-produced metal starting around 1200 B.C. — Answer: IRON
  3. 3. Intense, high-scoring baseball games — Answer: SLUGFESTS
  4. 4. Fish in a Japanese pond — Answer: KOI
  5. 5. Postal delivery, colloquially — Answer: SNAILMAIL
  6. 6. Charged particles — Answer: IONS
  7. 7. Whack, as a fly — Answer: SWAT
  8. 9. Fuzzy fruit — Answer: KIWI
  9. 11. Nurse's "On the double!" — Answer: STAT
  10. 15. Most's opposite — Answer: LEAST
  11. 16. With 20-Down, "Don't go so fast!" ... or how you might describe the shaded squares? — Answer: SLOW
  12. 17. Towel (off) — Answer: WIPE
  13. 19. Big name in minimalist furniture — Answer: IKEA
  14. 20. See 16-Down — Answer: DOWN
  15. 22. Award for Giannis Antetokounmpo in '19 and '20 — Answer: MVP

Here are the NYT Midi Crossword answers for Thursday, May 21, 2026 — every solution for that day's mid-size puzzle, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on May 21?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live NYT Midi Crossword answers page.

NYT Midi Crossword answers for May 21, 2026

The full solution for the May 21 NYT Midi is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Thursday, May 21.

Hints for the May 21 puzzle

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The May 21 Midi is the mid-size New York Times grid — bigger than the one-minute Mini, smaller than the full weekday crossword — so it sat somewhere between a quick hit and a proper sit-down solve that Thursday. It keeps the Times' clean, playful cluing, so the answers below read like a lighter version of the main puzzle rather than a Saturday-level challenge. Use the hints for the trickiest clues, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.

Looking for a different day?

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Frequently asked questions

What were the NYT Midi Crossword answers on May 21, 2026?

Every answer for the Thursday, May 21, 2026 NYT Midi is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.

Where can I find today's NYT Midi answers?

Today's live puzzle is on our NYT Midi Crossword answers today page, updated the moment each new grid goes live.

How do I look up a different date?

Use the previous/next links above to step day by day, or open the today page to browse the full dated archive.

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