One waking up at 10 or 11 a.m., perhaps ... or a hint to the shaded squares?

About this clue

The clue “One waking up at 10 or 11 a.m., perhaps ... or a hint to the shaded squares?” appeared in the New York Times Midi Crossword on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at position 16-A. The answer is a 9-letter word or phrase that starts with L and ends with R.

This puzzle was titled “Time to Get Up” 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 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.

More Across clues from this puzzle