NYT Midi Crossword Clue · Across · 11-A
___ Donald, three-time N.F.L. Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2018 and 2020)
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Letters
5
Direction
Across
Clue #
11
Starts with
A
Ends with
N
Vowels
3
About this clue
The clue “___ Donald, three-time N.F.L. Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2018 and 2020)” appeared in the New York Times Midi Crossword on Monday, June 1, 2026, at position 11-A. The answer is a 5-letter word that starts with A and ends with N.
This puzzle was titled “The Perfect Score Doesn't Exi—” and constructed 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. Note that the answer contains a double letter.
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.