Strategically taps the ball into the infield

Latest answer — February 03, 2025

53 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, February 03, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Make reference to
  2. 5Person with a twisted mind
  3. 10Uncomfortable health class subject, for short
  4. 14Onetime "Jeopardy!" host Trebek
  5. 15Stared creepily
  6. 16Dorito, e.g.
  7. 17Obsolescent classroom wall fixture
  8. 19Give a makeover
  9. 20Gone up
  10. 21Drink of choice for Captain Jack Sparrow
  11. 22Martial art that uses bamboo swords
  12. 23Chilly treat
  13. 25Hopscotch locale
  14. 27Slimeball
  15. 29Rather warm, as a firelit room
  16. 30U.F.O. crew
  17. 31Mouse's bigger cousin
  18. 33Burden
  19. 34Achieved, as a victory ... or how you might describe 17-, 25-, 47 and 55-Across
  20. 37Stadium chants
  21. 38"Wise" bird
  22. 39Brand of motor oil
  23. 42Frog sounds
  24. 44Name on dictionaries
  25. 47Need for playing pool
  26. 49Overthrow
  27. 50Slender instruments
  28. 51Female name that's a body part spelled backward
  29. 53Strategically taps the ball into the infield
  30. 54Slimming surgery, for short
  31. 55Recreational rock climbers
  32. 57"Q ___ queen"
  33. 58"Remember the ___!"
  34. 59"___ dat"
  35. 60Captain Hook's right-hand man
  36. 61Poet whose first two initials stand for "Thomas" and "Stearns"
  37. 62IDs written on applications, for short

Down

  1. 1Trip in a taxi
  2. 2Not allowed
  3. 3Enticing ad promotions
  4. 4Besides
  5. 5Weep loudly
  6. 6Lab assistant often depicted with a hunched back
  7. 7Name on a mailbox at the North Pole
  8. 8___ the Frog
  9. 9Abnormal
  10. 10Makes an oopsie
  11. 11Washington's M.L.B. team, informally
  12. 12___-squat (a whole lot of nothing)
  13. 13Give the heebie-jeebies
  14. 18Door opener
  15. 22Reeves of "The Matrix"
  16. 24Go down the slopes with a chute
  17. 26Drew funny little pictures
  18. 28Lass
  19. 32One end to a boxing match, for short
  20. 34"Phew!"
  21. 35Warms up
  22. 36"Gro-o-oss!"
  23. 37Black-and-white dessert that's sliced
  24. 39Pot smokers
  25. 40Experimental effort
  26. 41Pushes down, as with the thumb
  27. 42Style for Picasso
  28. 43Use TikTok, say
  29. 45Spanish newborn
  30. 46Small gushes
  31. 47Coke and Pepsi, but not Sprite
  32. 48Oahu neighbor
  33. 52Tickle Me ___
  34. 55Sweetie
  35. 56One of three in an ellipsis

The answer to “Strategically taps the ball into the infield” in the New York Times crossword is BUNTS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 3, 2025, a Monday puzzle, at 53-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.

“Strategically taps the ball into the infield” answer

BUNTS (5 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 BUNTS.

Why the answer is BUNTS

BUNTS is the 5-letter solution that fits "Strategically taps the ball into the infield" in the NYT Crossword crossword on February 3, 2025 (53-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does BUNTS mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of a batter) gently tap (a pitched ball) without swinging in an attempt to make it more difficult to field
  • push or butt

When else has “Strategically taps the ball into the infield” 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.

February 3, 2025 (most recent) → BUNTS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Strategically taps the ball into the infield”?

The answer is BUNTS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 3, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Strategically taps the ball into the infield”?

5 letters: BUNTS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on February 3, 2025 (a Monday puzzle), at 53-Across.

Can “Strategically taps the ball into the infield” 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 February 3, 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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