NYT Midi Crossword Clue · Across · 16-A

Musician who co-composed the song from "The Lion King" suggested in this puzzle

From the Saturday, August 15, 2026 puzzleAnswer: 9 lettersBy Joel Fagliano
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Letters
9
Direction
Across
Clue #
16
Starts with
E
Ends with
N
Vowels
3

About this clue

The clue “Musician who co-composed the song from "The Lion King" suggested in this puzzle” appeared in the New York Times Midi Crossword on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at position 16-A. The answer is a 9-letter word or phrase that starts with E and ends with N.

This puzzle was titled “Circle of Life” and constructed by Joel Fagliano, 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 3 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.