Play basketball, slangily

Latest answer — July 11, 2026

26 Across

When you shoot for the net, you might just use this fun word! 🏀

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Saturday, July 11, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1One navigating a maze, maybe
  2. 7Go out, as the tide
  3. 10"Can I get a volunteer?"
  4. 11Outback animal that bounces, for short
  5. 12Wilbur, to Charlotte?
  6. 13"Just ___, baby" (Las Vegas Raiders motto)
  7. 14"___ is me!"
  8. 15Chinese dynasty noted for vases
  9. 16Bugs Bunny, to Lola?
  10. 19Fashion house whose name rhymes with "J'adore"
  11. 20Dory, to Marlon?
  12. 26Play basketball, slangily
  13. 27Laundry care instructions
  14. 28Overblown excitement
  15. 29Move with stealth

Down

  1. 1Spot for a little dog to rest, maybe
  2. 2All over again
  3. 3Already
  4. 4Strategy used by Muhammad Ali in Rumble in the Jungle
  5. 5Santa ___ winds
  6. 6Contact info abbr.
  7. 7Physicist Schrödinger, creator of Schrödinger's cat thought experiment
  8. 8Jack-in-the-box onomatopoeia
  9. 9Smoke shop purchase
  10. 15Disney's King Triton, e.g.
  11. 17___ de Janeiro
  12. 18Buns in a basket
  13. 20[Don't wake the baby!]
  14. 21Flirtatiously shy
  15. 22Struggle to put on a shoe while rushing out the door, say
  16. 23Prez on the U.S. penny
  17. 24Bigelow product
  18. 25Antlered animal

The answer to “Play basketball, slangily” in the New York Times Midi crossword is HOOP — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on July 11, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 26-Across. 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.

“Play basketball, slangily” answer

HOOP (4 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 HOOP.

Why the answer is HOOP

When you shoot for the net, you might just use this fun word! 🏀

What does HOOP mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of HOOP is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a circular band of metal, wood, or similar material, especially one used for binding the staves of barrels or forming part of a framework
  • a horizontal band of a contrasting colour on a sports shirt or jockey's cap

When else has “Play basketball, slangily” 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.

July 11, 2026 (most recent) → HOOP. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Play basketball, slangily”?

The answer is HOOP, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on July 11, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Play basketball, slangily”?

4 letters: HOOP.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on July 11, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 26-Across.

Can “Play basketball, slangily” 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 July 11, 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.

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