NYT Midi Crossword Answers Today, November 12, 2026

The New York Times (NYT) Midi Crossword for Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026: hints for all 34 clues, how the face drawn in the 11x11 grid works, answers.

By Fresh Calendars News Desk, Editorial team, daily puzzles

Published November 11, 2026, 10:27 p.m. ET 8 min read

NYT Midi Crossword answers for Nov. 12, 2026 on an eleven-by-eleven grid — The New York Times Midi Crossword for Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, with a hint for every clue before the answers. Illustration: Fresh Calendars

In this article

How the “Put on a Happy Face” theme works
The 22-Down clue, explained without its answer
Hints for every clue
Where to start in a grid of 34 entries
Thursday’s grid next to Wednesday’s
Today’s NYT Midi answers (spoilers)

The New York Times (NYT) Midi Crossword for Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, is called “Put on a Happy Face” and has 34 clues on an 11-by-11 grid, built by Zhou Zhang and Kevin Curry. Ian Livengood edited it. Each clue has a hint behind a tap, and the answers wait in a marked section at the end.

How the “Put on a Happy Face” theme works

The name reads like an instruction, and the grid follows it. Look at the pattern of black squares rather than the letters. Row 4 has two black squares with white on every side, at columns 4 and 8. Row 7 has black squares at the same two columns, and row 8 has three in a row between them, so the lower pair and the row beneath it curve like a mouth. The corners are cut in steps: three black squares at each end of the top row, two in the next, one in the third, and the same in reverse at the bottom.

Four clues talk about the puzzle itself. 14-Across asks for an icon “depicted in this puzzle,” 24-Across is “an apt instruction for this puzzle,” 13-Down asks what “Put on a Happy Face” is, for example, and 22-Down asks what the two isolated black squares represent. None of the four needs outside knowledge once you see the shape; the grid is the clue.

The 22-Down clue, explained without its answer

The least literal clue is 22-Down, with 4 letters: “What the two isolated black squares in this puzzle represent.” It defines nothing in the usual way. It points at the diagram and asks you to read a picture, and the answer is a plural noun for something a face has two of. It runs down column 4 from row 8 and crosses 21-, 24-, 28- and 29-Across, so a couple of those Across entries give you most of it. Solving it also confirms the face reading of the grid, which helps with the other three self-referring clues.

Hints for every clue

Clues are quoted as printed, including blanks (___) and the abbreviation tag. The entries are not all single words: several are two words run together, and the hints give the split.

Across

1-Across (5 letters), Mazda two-seater
a light convertible sports car from the carmaker in the clue; it starts with M and finishes with A.
Show the answer
Miata
6-Across (7 letters), Coil of hair secured with a clip
a tight spiral of hair pinned flat to hold a wave; two words, 3 and 4 letters; it starts with P and finishes with L.
Show the answer
Pin Curl
8-Across (9 letters), One who takes the stage
someone who entertains a live audience; it starts with P and finishes with R.
Show the answer
Performer
10-Across (3 letters), Train or subway component
one unit coupled to the next on a rail line; it starts with C and finishes with R.
Show the answer
Car
11-Across (3 letters), Of the same ___ (similar)
a word for a sort or kind; it starts with I and finishes with K.
Show the answer
Ilk
12-Across (3 letters), Understand
to grasp a joke or an idea; it starts with G and finishes with T.
Show the answer
Get
14-Across (11 letters), Texter’s icon depicted in this puzzle
the round-faced symbol the grid pictures with its black squares; two words, 6 and 5 letters; it starts with S and finishes with I.
Show the answer
Smiley Emoji
17-Across (11 letters), Exciting play on an ice rink
a one-on-one chance at the net awarded after a rule is broken; two words, 7 and 4 letters; it starts with P and finishes with T.
Show the answer
Penalty Shot
18-Across (3 letters), In the style of
a short word borrowed from French that you see before “mode”; it starts with A and finishes with A.
Show the answer
Ala
19-Across (3 letters), ___ Moines, Iowa
the French word for “of the” that opens the city’s name; it starts with D and finishes with S.
Show the answer
Des
20-Across (3 letters), Commodity measured in barrels
crude is a kind of it; it starts with O and finishes with L.
Show the answer
Oil
21-Across (4 letters), ”___ the Great” (children’s lit sleuth with a rhyming name)
the detective’s first name, a four-letter boy’s name; it starts with N and finishes with E.
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Nate
23-Across (4 letters), Brownish-purple shade
a dull color between brown and purple; it starts with P and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Puce
24-Across (9 letters), Photographer’s request … and an apt instruction for this puzzle
the words said to make a person grin for the camera; two words, 3 and 6 letters; it starts with S and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Say Cheese
28-Across (7 letters), Major French city on the English Channel
a large port in northern France; two words, 2 and 5 letters, the first being the French word for “the”; it starts with L and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Le Havre
29-Across (5 letters), Capital of Oregon
the state capital the clue names; it starts with S and finishes with M.
Show the answer
Salem

Down

1-Down (3 letters), Former Russian space station
a Russian-built orbiting laboratory that has been retired; it starts with M and finishes with R.
Show the answer
Mir
2-Down (7 letters), Where first, second and third base are
the diamond-shaped part of a baseball field inside the bases; it starts with I and finishes with D.
Show the answer
Infield
3-Down (7 letters), Devoted follower
a loyal disciple or attendant; it starts with A and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Acolyte
4-Down (7 letters), Entrees stuffed with stuffing
large roasted birds, plural; it starts with T and finishes with S.
Show the answer
Turkeys
5-Down (3 letters), Twist one’s ___
the limb you would twist to press someone; it starts with A and finishes with M.
Show the answer
Arm
6-Down (9 letters), Kind of care provided to mother and child around the time of birth
an adjective for the weeks surrounding a birth; it starts with P and finishes with L.
Show the answer
Perinatal
7-Down (9 letters), Toy dwelling made of bricks
a home built from interlocking plastic pieces; two words, 4 and 5 letters; it starts with L and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Lego House
8-Down (7 letters), Actresses Anderson and Adlon
a first name the two share, in the plural; it starts with P and finishes with S.
Show the answer
Pamelas
9-Down (7 letters), Celebrate
to be glad and make merry; it starts with R and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Rejoice
10-Down (5 letters), Channel that airs governmental proceedings
a cable network known by a short name that is hyphenated in print; it starts with C and finishes with N.
Show the answer
Cspan
13-Down (5 letters), This puzzle’s “Put on a Happy Face,” e.g.
the name a creative work carries; it starts with T and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Title
15-Down (2 letters), Biloxi’s state, in a mailing address
Biloxi sits in Mississippi, yet the official grid fills this slot with the postal code of a neighboring Gulf Coast state; it starts with L and finishes with A, so trust the crossings here.
Show the answer
La
16-Down (2 letters), Señorita, in English: Abbr.
the short form of address for a woman, as two letters; it starts with M and finishes with S.
Show the answer
Ms
22-Down (4 letters), What the two isolated black squares in this puzzle represent
the pair of facial features the two lone black squares stand for; it starts with E and finishes with S.
Show the answer
Eyes
23-Down (4 letters), Salon treatment
a short word for a curl or wave set into straight hair; it starts with P and finishes with M.
Show the answer
Perm
25-Down (3 letters), ”___-ching!”
the first half of a cash register’s sound; it starts with C and finishes with A.
Show the answer
Cha
26-Down (3 letters), “2001: A Space Odyssey” computer
the machine’s three-letter name in the film; it starts with H and finishes with L.
Show the answer
Hal
27-Down (3 letters), ‘Tis the night before
the evening before a holiday; it starts with E and finishes with E.
Show the answer
Eve

Where to start in a grid of 34 entries

Rows 5 and 6 have no black squares, so the two 11-letter Across entries, 14-Across and 17-Across, run edge to edge. Each one crosses 11 different Down entries, one for every square. The two Down entries of two letters, 15-Down and 16-Down, sit entirely inside that pair of rows, which means they fill in the moment both long entries are done. Next in crossings are 8-Across, 24-Across, 6-Down and 7-Down, each crossing 9 entries.

Thursday’s grid next to Wednesday’s

The editor stays Ian Livengood. The puzzle jumps from nine squares across to eleven, and from a solo credit for Nate Cardin on Wednesday’s Midi to two builders. Entries are counted from the official grid data.

Feature	Wed., Nov. 11	Thu., Nov. 12
Constructors	Nate Cardin	Zhou Zhang and Kevin Curry
Grid	9 by 9	11 by 11
Clues (Across + Down)	28 (15 + 13)	34 (16 + 18)
Black squares	16	31
Letter squares	65	90
Entries of 2 letters	0	2
Entries of 3 letters	9	11
Entries of 4 letters	12	4
Entries of 5 letters	1	4
Entries of 7 letters	1	7
Entries of 8 letters	2	0
Entries of 9 letters	3	4
Entries of 11 letters	0	2

The longest entries on Thursday are the two 11-letter ones; the shortest are the two with 2 letters. Three-letter entries are the most common length with 11 of 34, where Wednesday’s most common length was four. Seven-letter entries rose from one to seven, and no entry has 8 letters.

With 34 entries to fill, the rules for the format are on our Midi Crossword page.

Plan the week around the puzzle with our weekly planner you can print or the printable calendar for November 2026.

More of Thursday’s puzzles: Wordle hints and Connections hints. The same date also has the Mini answers for Nov. 12 and the daily Crossword answers for Nov. 12, and Wednesday’s Midi is still up if you missed it.

Today’s NYT Midi answers (spoilers)

Stop here if you still want to solve it yourself.

Clue	Answer
1-Across	Miata
6-Across	Pin Curl
8-Across	Performer
10-Across	Car
11-Across	Ilk
12-Across	Get
14-Across	Smiley Emoji
17-Across	Penalty Shot
18-Across	Ala
19-Across	Des
20-Across	Oil
21-Across	Nate
23-Across	Puce
24-Across	Say Cheese
28-Across	Le Havre
29-Across	Salem
1-Down	Mir
2-Down	Infield
3-Down	Acolyte
4-Down	Turkeys
5-Down	Arm
6-Down	Perinatal
7-Down	Lego House
8-Down	Pamelas
9-Down	Rejoice
10-Down	Cspan
13-Down	Title
15-Down	La
16-Down	Ms
22-Down	Eyes
23-Down	Perm
25-Down	Cha
26-Down	Hal
27-Down	Eve

The filled grid, with each clue number in its first square. Drawn from the official puzzle data published by The New York Times.

The answers come from the puzzle’s official data.

Yesterday's Midi Crossword answer

The Midi on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026: Across 1 Ends, 5 Tutu, 9 Mere, 10 Atvs, 11 Twee, 12 Tide, 13 Ssn, 14 Ali, 15 Ifs, 16 Inc, 18 Seem, 20 Etna, 21 Media Diet, 23 Dustier, 24 Poets; Down 1 Emt, 2 Newsfeed, 3 Dressed Up, 4 Seen, 5 Tata, 6 Utilities, 7 Tv Dinner, 8 Use, 15 Ism, 17 Cat, 19 Miso, 20 Edit, 22 Ate. Yesterday's hints and full solution.

Frequently asked questions

Who built the NYT Midi Crossword for Nov. 12, 2026?

Zhou Zhang and Kevin Curry share the credit, and Ian Livengood is the editor, per the puzzle's official data. Wednesday's Midi was a solo puzzle by Nate Cardin.

Why do the black squares matter in today's Midi Crossword?

They make a picture. Two single black squares in row 4 sit apart from every other black square, and a 22-Down clue asks what they stand for. A curve of black squares in rows 7 and 8 and rounded corners at the top and bottom finish the outline, so the grid is drawn as well as filled.

What are the NYT Midi Crossword answers for Nov. 12, 2026?

Spoilers: Across, Miata, Pin Curl, Performer, Car, Ilk, Get, Smiley Emoji, Penalty Shot, Ala, Des, Oil, Nate, Puce, Say Cheese, Le Havre, Salem; Down, Mir, Infield, Acolyte, Turkeys, Arm, Perinatal, Lego House, Pamelas, Rejoice, Cspan, Title, La, Ms, Eyes, Perm, Cha, Hal, Eve.

Sources

The Midi Crossword (The New York Times)

Fresh Calendars News Desk

Editorial team, daily puzzles

The Fresh Calendars News Desk is the editorial team behind Fresh Calendars News. It publishes the daily puzzle pages for games such as Wordle, NYT Connections, Strands, Pips, Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword and Contexto, each with graded hints first and a clearly marked answer section after them. Answers come from the publisher's own game data where it exists and are checked against that saved data before a page goes live; for games without official data, a page waits until two independent published solutions agree. The desk also handles reader tips and correction reports for the whole site, works with the editors who cover holidays, school calendars, money, time changes and seasonal events, and notes each correction at the end of the article with the date it was made.