NYT Midi Crossword Clue · Across · 12-A

Center of a mythical maze

From the Tuesday, April 7, 2026 puzzleAnswer: 8 lettersBy Sid Sivakumar
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Letters
8
Direction
Across
Clue #
12
Starts with
M
Ends with
R
Vowels
4

About this clue

The clue “Center of a mythical maze” appeared in the New York Times Midi Crossword on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at position 12-A. The answer is a 8-letter word that starts with M and ends with R.

This puzzle was titled “Heart of the Matter” and constructed by Sid Sivakumar, 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. With 4 vowels, this answer is unusually vowel-heavy — suggesting a phrase, name, or non-English borrowing.

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.