NYT Midi Crossword Clue · Across · 15-A
Backyard projectiles whose sales weren't banned until the late 1980s
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Letters
9
Direction
Across
Clue #
15
Starts with
L
Ends with
S
Vowels
2
About this clue
The clue “Backyard projectiles whose sales weren't banned until the late 1980s” appeared in the New York Times Midi Crossword on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at position 15-A. The answer is a 9-letter word or phrase that starts with L and ends with S.
This puzzle was titled “Genetic Mutation” and constructed by Hanh Huynh, edited by Ian Livengood.
The Midi Crossword sits between the lightning-fast Mini and the full daily, so its cluing tends toward punny misdirection rather than obscure trivia. The vowel pattern is balanced, suggesting a common English word.
How to solve this clue
If you're stuck on this Midi clue, here are angles that often help:
- Crosscheck with the perpendicular entries. Fill the Down entries that cross this one and the letters will usually reveal the answer.
- Watch for the puzzle title. Midi puzzles usually carry a small theme — long Across entries that share a wordplay link.
- Mind the part of speech. Singular clue takes a singular answer; past tense takes -ED or an irregular past form.
- Trust your first instinct. If a clue feels easy in the Midi, it usually is — the puzzle is designed to be solvable in three to five minutes.