Close one, for short

Latest answer — May 15, 2025

11 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, May 15, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Workplace that often has sawdust
  2. 5Offered up gossip
  3. 11Close one, for short
  4. 14Part of a house that might shade part of a patio
  5. 15African creature whose name is one letter away from what its horns might do
  6. 16Constitutional change long endorsed by NOW
  7. 17Some colorful apparel
  8. 19Bagel-and-schmear go-with
  9. 20Longtime deodorant brand
  10. 21Crazy about
  11. 22Number on a clothing tag
  12. 23Unnatural sight, in brief
  13. 24Outperforms
  14. 26Certain grain source
  15. 28What might bring down the house?
  16. 30Male film character played by a female terrier named Terry
  17. 31Brother Felipe, Matty or Jesus of baseball
  18. 32Accessory for a guitar neck
  19. 35Thingamajigs
  20. 39Statements that can be seen as positive ... or a hint to interpreting 17-, 26-, 49- and 62-Across
  21. 42"In conclusion ..."
  22. 43Darn it!
  23. 44Tilt
  24. 45Chimney part
  25. 47Secret rendezvous
  26. 49Old-fashioned homemade cleaner
  27. 52Call for delivery?
  28. 54Org. concerned with nationwide traffic
  29. 56Scent
  30. 57Spoils
  31. 59Hoops great ___ Thomas
  32. 61Cow's chew
  33. 62Des Moines's domain
  34. 64Word after tell or catch
  35. 65Directs
  36. 66Sphere ... or 4pr^2, for the surface of a sphere
  37. 67Shortest among the top 25 most common U.S. surnames
  38. 68Scottish cryptid, informally
  39. 69Any member in the group with the 1965 hit "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

Down

  1. 1Small, clingy bristles on a gecko's foot
  2. 2Establishment where things are cut and dried?
  3. 3Self-satisfied and then some
  4. 4Spa service, for short
  5. 5Exhibit in a natural history museum, informally
  6. 6Cool cat's "Roger that"
  7. 7Dizzy feeling, with "the"
  8. 8Eponym of the N.H.L.'s M.V.P. award
  9. 9Charger in una corrida
  10. 10Chargers in courts, for short
  11. 11Prove untrue
  12. 12Suddenly went still
  13. 13Like some documents in the pre-internet age
  14. 18Acknowledge nonverbally
  15. 22With an air of haughtiness
  16. 25In days past
  17. 27Shout in a game of tag
  18. 29Replaces
  19. 30Caesar wrap?
  20. 31___ Lovelace, mathematician and daughter of Lord Byron
  21. 33Lead-in to chamber
  22. 34Letter before cue
  23. 36Mark Twain tale narrated in the first person by a noted first woman
  24. 37Carnivore
  25. 38Fig. written in boxes on a W-9
  26. 40Woman's name spelled out in a 1970 hit
  27. 41Liberal ___
  28. 46Burning the midnight oil, say
  29. 48Beast with a horn
  30. 49In the neighborhood
  31. 50Small bump
  32. 51Word after wet, pool or chicken
  33. 52Slow sorts, in slang
  34. 53Baby carriers
  35. 55In the lead
  36. 58Is behind
  37. 60Shot in the dark
  38. 62Sister channel of QVC
  39. 63Narrow amount to win by

The answer to “Close one, for short” in the New York Times crossword is BFF — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 15, 2025, a Thursday puzzle, at 11-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.

“Close one, for short” answer

BFF (3 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 BFF.

Why the answer is BFF

BFF is the 3-letter solution that fits "Close one, for short" in the NYT Crossword crossword on May 15, 2025 (11-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Close one, for short” appeared?

New York Times 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.

May 15, 2025 (most recent) → BFF. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Close one, for short”?

The answer is BFF, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 15, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Close one, for short”?

3 letters: BFF.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on May 15, 2025 (a Thursday puzzle), at 11-Across.

Can “Close one, for short” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times 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 Crossword answers?

The full grid for May 15, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times 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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