Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"

Latest answer — December 31, 2025

2 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, December 31, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Big name in pickup trucks
  2. 4Criminal suspects, informally
  3. 9Giant container
  4. 12Map out
  5. 14Love of Italy?
  6. 15Performer who's lost for words?
  7. 16Smaller than small
  8. 17Completely change course, in business jargon
  9. 18Enthusiastic
  10. 19Gathering for this puzzle's attendees
  11. 22Stipulation for some keto dieters
  12. 24Ninja's quality
  13. 27Grant the power
  14. 28Paddle people
  15. 29Hint
  16. 30Marketplace of ancient Greece
  17. 34Knights of ___, dark order in the third "Star Wars" trilogy
  18. 35Gathering for this puzzle's attendees
  19. 40Falco of "The Sopranos"
  20. 41Article in hip-hop titles
  21. 42Make some changes
  22. 43Gathering for this puzzle's attendees
  23. 46Suffering from memory loss, in a way
  24. 49It's a big hit
  25. 53Name on luxury fashion apparel
  26. 54Marginalia, e.g.
  27. 56John of wrestling fame
  28. 57Bloom that's green
  29. 59Mess around a sty
  30. 60Lead, as a meeting
  31. 61With 63-Across, gathering for this puzzle's attendees
  32. 62Grp. that carries badges
  33. 63See 61-Across
  34. 64"That makes sense now!"
  35. 65Hanker (for)
  36. 66Things people prefer to type on in secrecy, for short

Down

  1. 1Engine stat, in brief
  2. 2Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"
  3. 3Engaged in some grooming
  4. 4Fairy tale character with a hard bed
  5. 5Arab leaders
  6. 6Wander aimlessly
  7. 7Needles, maybe
  8. 8Try to catch someone with guile
  9. 9Cry of loyalty in old France
  10. 10"___ crazy?"
  11. 11Williams in the Baseball Hall of Fame
  12. 13Veil worn by Muslim women
  13. 15Colorful parrot
  14. 20Certain address, for short
  15. 21Lead-in to liberalism
  16. 22Ending for many a 20-Down
  17. 23How drinks may be stored at a summer gathering
  18. 25Site of a historic council
  19. 26Channel similar to QVC
  20. 31Lies down on the couch, say
  21. 32Nueve menos uno
  22. 33Began to withdraw mail from a mailbox, say
  23. 36One-named performer known as "Mr. Showmanship"
  24. 37Most August babies
  25. 38Word fittingly evoked by the phrase "Together everyone achieves more"
  26. 39Small talk
  27. 44Mark, as an option on a questionnaire
  28. 45Apple device letters
  29. 46Not very much
  30. 47Prefix meaning "one-thousandth"
  31. 48Ideas that don't work out
  32. 50Supply with more weaponry
  33. 51Condo building's inventory
  34. 52Hardly
  35. 55Straw, e.g.
  36. 58Squeak (out)
  37. 60Book reviewer, for short

The answer to “Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"” in the New York Times crossword is ALI — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 31, 2025, a Wednesday puzzle, at 2-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.

“Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"” answer

ALI (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 ALI.

Why the answer is ALI

ALI is the 3-letter solution that fits "Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 31, 2025 (2-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"” 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.

December 31, 2025 (most recent) → ALI. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"”?

The answer is ALI, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 31, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"”?

3 letters: ALI.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on December 31, 2025 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 2-Down.

Can “Sports star who said "It's not bragging if you can back it up"” 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 December 31, 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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