NYT Midi Crossword Answers for Thursday, August 20, 2026: “Lines From a Script”

Thursday, August 20, 2026 · Today's NYT Midi Crossword answers

AUG20

NYT Midi Crossword

Thursday, August 20, 2026

9×9“Lines From a Script”By Nguhi Ross and Erik AgardEdited by Ian Livengood

30 clues. Tap Reveal on any clue for just that answer, or open the full solution at the bottom.

This Midi was titled “Lines From a Script” — the title hints at the theme. Clues that point at it: 26A, 4D, 5D.

Across

  1. 1Breakfast food chain (4)
    RevealIHOP
  2. 5Big ___, Sesame Street resident with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (4)
    RevealBIRD
  3. 9Magician's exclamation (4)
    RevealTADA
  4. 10Smoothie bowl berry (4)
    RevealACAI
  5. 11Mix, as soup (4)
    RevealSTIR
  6. 12Facial feature stroked when thinking, perhaps (4)
    RevealCHIN
  7. 13Eating between lunch and dinner, say (8)
    RevealSNACKING
  8. 15Barbell units: Abbr. (3)
    RevealLBS
  9. 16"It's safe to enter" (8)
    RevealALLCLEAR
  10. 21Neo-soul singer India.___ (4)
    RevealARIE
  11. 22Vocalist who might sing the middle part in a harmony (4)
    RevealALTO
  12. 23Web programmer's code (4)
    RevealHTML
  13. 24See 4-Down (4)
    RevealPLAY
  14. 25"Agreed," at sea (3)
    RevealAYE
  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") (3)
    RevealSAD

Down

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

Answers in this NYT Midi Crossword that had shown up before, counted over the 176 puzzles since February 2026:

ALTO ×6AHA ×5SAD ×4ITS ×3PLAY ×2STIR ×2

Show all 30 answers and the solved grid

Across: 1A IHOP5A BIRD9A TADA10A ACAI11A STIR12A CHIN13A SNACKING15A LBS16A ALLCLEAR21A ARIE22A ALTO23A HTML24A PLAY25A AYE26A SAD

Down: 1D ITS2D HATS3D ODIN4D PARALLEL5D BACKSLAPS6D ICHI7D RAIN8D DING14D CBC16D ARTY17D LIME18D ELLA19D ATAD20D ROY21D AHA

About This NYT Midi Crossword

The NYT Midi for Thursday, August 20, 2026 was a 9×9 grid by Nguhi Ross and Erik Agard, edited by Ian Livengood, titled “Lines From a Script”, with 30 clues; the longest answer ran 8 letters. That is 3 fewer than the average Thursday before it (33.5).

Also on Aug 20: the NYT Mini Crossword and the NYT Crossword.

Earlier August 2026 NYT Midi Crossword Answers

Aug 1Aug 2Aug 3Aug 4Aug 5Aug 6Aug 7Aug 8Aug 9Aug 10Aug 11Aug 12Aug 13Aug 14Aug 15Aug 16Aug 17Aug 18Aug 19Aug 20

Every earlier puzzle is in the NYT Midi Crossword archive. For the newest one, see today's NYT Midi Crossword answers, which switch to the next puzzle as soon as it's released.

Unofficial fan guide — not affiliated with or endorsed by The New York Times. Clues are quoted for reference.