Basketball or baseball, but not football
Editorially verified for the Aug 13, 2026
9 Down
Scroll down for rest of crossword answers
Clue explained
A basketball and a baseball are approximately spherical objects, while an American football is elongated rather than spherical. SPHERE is therefore the geometric category shared by the first two examples but not the third.
- Clue type:
- Example
NYT Midi Crossword
This clue's Thursday, August 13, 2026 appearance
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
The answer to “Basketball or baseball, but not football” in the New York Times Midi crossword is SPHERE — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 13, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 9-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.
“Basketball or baseball, but not football” answer
SPHERE (6 letters)
Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is SPHERE.
What does SPHERE mean?
Reading the plain dictionary sense of SPHERE is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.
(noun)
- a round solid figure, or its surface, with every point on its surface equidistant from its centre
- an area of activity, interest, or expertise; a section of society or an aspect of life distinguished and unified by a particular characteristic
When else has “Basketball or baseball, but not football” appeared?
New York Times Midi reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.
August 13, 2026 (most recent) → SPHERE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “Basketball or baseball, but not football”?
The answer is SPHERE, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 13, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “Basketball or baseball, but not football”?
6 letters: SPHERE.
When did this clue appear?
Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 13, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 9-Down.
Can “Basketball or baseball, but not football” have a different answer?
Yes — New York Times Midi sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.
Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Midi answers?
The full grid for August 13, 2026 is on the NYT Midi answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.
New York Times Midi Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.
Crossword Clues
Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.