Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder

Crossword Answer — June 20, 2025

Answer

NYT Crossword

Friday, June 20, 2025

By Adrianne Baik

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1"Looks like it's settled!"
  2. 16Cultural attraction in London's Covent Garden neighborhood
  3. 17Campaign reminder
  4. 18Brief moment in time
  5. 19Medical drama sites, for short
  6. 20Queen Elizabeth II owned over 30 of them
  7. 21Sound from a crib
  8. 24Concave cooking items
  9. 25One side of a list
  10. 26K
  11. 27___ Jung-jae, Emmy-winning star of "Squid Game"
  12. 30Sci-fi droid, familiarly
  13. 32Crux
  14. 34Go about
  15. 35Loose items in a purse, perhaps
  16. 36Reddit rule enforcers
  17. 37Retro means of communication
  18. 39Variety of violet
  19. 40Jaden Smith, to Will Smith
  20. 41Torn
  21. 42Hairstyles that can be "messy"
  22. 43Leaning
  23. 44Like Greenland
  24. 46Part of many a car's dashboard
  25. 49"You can no more win a ___ than you can win an earthquake": Jeannette Rankin
  26. 50Trendy
  27. 52Nonchalant comeback
  28. 56Very, very close
  29. 57Everybody's talking about it

Down

  1. 1"___ jolie!"
  2. 2Appear overprotective, say
  3. 3Mate's reply
  4. 4Natural pitch
  5. 5Olympian Raisman
  6. 6They're long stories
  7. 7Mushroom-to-be
  8. 8Makes slick
  9. 9Before, in a poem
  10. 10Masked bandits?
  11. 11In a state
  12. 12Offerings at colleges and museums
  13. 13Was suspended
  14. 14Bubbly option
  15. 15Model Holliday
  16. 22Trudge
  17. 23What "2" can stand for
  18. 24Puppy's plaint
  19. 26Spoil
  20. 27This is the greatest part!
  21. 28Winds up
  22. 29Its first sale was a flamingo-print zip pouch for $8
  23. 30Pet sayings?
  24. 31Caramel-filled sweet
  25. 32Idly dreams
  26. 33Dweller near Dubai
  27. 35Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder
  28. 38Preceding
  29. 39"I was reading a book about mazes ... I got lost in it," e.g.
  30. 42Big name in bookstores
  31. 43Coffee roaster's creation
  32. 44Writer with a monument in Florence's Piazza Santa Croce
  33. 45Request by those under 21
  34. 46Munch
  35. 47Actor Paul of "12 Years a Slave"
  36. 48Mix up
  37. 49"OMG!," in a modern spelling
  38. 51Little annoyance
  39. 53Clock standard: Abbr.
  40. 54T-Mobile competitor, for short
  41. 55Old what's-___-name

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. "Looks like it's settled!" — Answer: THATANSWERSTHAT
  2. 16. Cultural attraction in London's Covent Garden neighborhood — Answer: ROYALOPERAHOUSE
  3. 17. Campaign reminder — Answer: EVERYVOTECOUNTS
  4. 18. Brief moment in time — Answer: SEC
  5. 19. Medical drama sites, for short — Answer: ERS
  6. 20. Queen Elizabeth II owned over 30 of them — Answer: CORGIS
  7. 21. Sound from a crib — Answer: RATTLE
  8. 24. Concave cooking items — Answer: WOKS
  9. 25. One side of a list — Answer: PROS
  10. 26. K — Answer: THOU
  11. 27. ___ Jung-jae, Emmy-winning star of "Squid Game" — Answer: LEE
  12. 30. Sci-fi droid, familiarly — Answer: ARTOO
  13. 32. Crux — Answer: MAINPOINT
  14. 34. Go about — Answer: ROAM
  15. 35. Loose items in a purse, perhaps — Answer: COINS
  16. 36. Reddit rule enforcers — Answer: MODS
  17. 37. Retro means of communication — Answer: FLIPPHONE
  18. 39. Variety of violet — Answer: PANSY
  19. 40. Jaden Smith, to Will Smith — Answer: SON
  20. 41. Torn — Answer: RENT
  21. 42. Hairstyles that can be "messy" — Answer: BUNS
  22. 43. Leaning — Answer: BIAS
  23. 44. Like Greenland — Answer: DANISH
  24. 46. Part of many a car's dashboard — Answer: CDSLOT
  25. 49. "You can no more win a ___ than you can win an earthquake": Jeannette Rankin — Answer: WAR
  26. 50. Trendy — Answer: HIP. Hint: Think of the cool kids setting the style standard! 😎
  27. 52. Nonchalant comeback — Answer: HATERSGONNAHATE
  28. 56. Very, very close — Answer: ONINTIMATETERMS
  29. 57. Everybody's talking about it — Answer: WORDONTHESTREET

Down

  1. 1. "___ jolie!" — Answer: TRES
  2. 2. Appear overprotective, say — Answer: HOVER
  3. 3. Mate's reply — Answer: AYECAPTAIN
  4. 4. Natural pitch — Answer: TAR
  5. 5. Olympian Raisman — Answer: ALY
  6. 6. They're long stories — Answer: NOVELS
  7. 7. Mushroom-to-be — Answer: SPORE
  8. 8. Makes slick — Answer: WETS
  9. 9. Before, in a poem — Answer: ERE
  10. 10. Masked bandits? — Answer: RACCOONS
  11. 11. In a state — Answer: SHOOKUP
  12. 12. Offerings at colleges and museums — Answer: TOURS
  13. 13. Was suspended — Answer: HUNG
  14. 14. Bubbly option — Answer: ASTI
  15. 15. Model Holliday — Answer: TESS
  16. 22. Trudge — Answer: TROMP
  17. 23. What "2" can stand for — Answer: TOO
  18. 24. Puppy's plaint — Answer: WHINE
  19. 26. Spoil — Answer: TAINT
  20. 27. This is the greatest part! — Answer: LIONSSHARE
  21. 28. Winds up — Answer: ENDS
  22. 29. Its first sale was a flamingo-print zip pouch for $8 — Answer: ETSY
  23. 30. Pet sayings? — Answer: ARFS
  24. 31. Caramel-filled sweet — Answer: ROLO
  25. 32. Idly dreams — Answer: MOONS
  26. 33. Dweller near Dubai — Answer: OMANI
  27. 35. Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder — Answer: CHEATSIN
  28. 38. Preceding — Answer: PRIORTO
  29. 39. "I was reading a book about mazes ... I got lost in it," e.g. — Answer: PUN
  30. 42. Big name in bookstores — Answer: BARNES
  31. 43. Coffee roaster's creation — Answer: BLEND
  32. 44. Writer with a monument in Florence's Piazza Santa Croce — Answer: DANTE
  33. 45. Request by those under 21 — Answer: HITME
  34. 46. Munch — Answer: CHOW
  35. 47. Actor Paul of "12 Years a Slave" — Answer: DANO
  36. 48. Mix up — Answer: STIR
  37. 49. "OMG!," in a modern spelling — Answer: WOAH
  38. 51. Little annoyance — Answer: PEST
  39. 53. Clock standard: Abbr. — Answer: GMT
  40. 54. T-Mobile competitor, for short — Answer: ATT
  41. 55. Old what's-___-name — Answer: HER

The answer to “Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder” in the New York Times crossword is CHEATSIN — a 8-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on June 20, 2025, a Friday puzzle, at 35-Down. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.

“Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder” answer

CHEATSIN (8 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 CHEATSIN.

Why the answer is CHEATSIN

CHEATSIN is the 8-letter solution that fits "Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder" in the NYT Crossword crossword on June 20, 2025 (35-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder” 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 before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.

June 20, 2025 (this puzzle) → CHEATSIN. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword crossword on June 20, 2025

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for June 20, 2025 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Friday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder”?

The answer is CHEATSIN, a 8-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 20, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder”?

8 letters: CHEATSIN.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on June 20, 2025 (a Friday puzzle), at 35-Down.

Can “Moves slightly closer, as a baseball fielder” 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 June 20, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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