Knick’s knack? NYT Crossword clue

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue for “knick’s knack” was harder than I expected. Even after I found the answer, I had to reread the clue to understand why my answer was correct because I didn’t get it right on my own. I found it by filling out the other across answers.

My strategy is valid, but it’s a bit strange, and I understand why you might be having trouble with this clue as well. That’s why I’m here to help you solve it since you probably need to give more attention to it than you are.

Hints to solve Knick’s knack Crossword clue

• Hint 1: Read the crossword clue again and pay attention to the words in it.
• Hint 2: Think of “Knick” as a name and “knack” as a skill or something people are good at.
• Hint 3: It’s about the New York Knicks basketball team.
• Hint 4: Think of a short word for the sport the New York Knicks play.

If you don’t want the answer spoiled, stop reading now because it’s right after this short block.

The final answer to “knick’s knack” is “BBALL.” It’s just short for basketball. It’s unusual the clue didn’t mention it was an abbreviation, which made it confusing. When I was solving it, I found the two B’s in a row before getting another answer, which was 6A, so I was missing a letter. I thought there was no word starting with double B, but I tried it, and it worked. This might make a lot of people struggle, and it’s probably what confused you too—the double B’s at the start are not common.

More word games to play after the NYT Mini Crossword

If you like funny and tricky word puzzles, you’ll probably enjoy playing Strands. It’s another New York Times game you can play for free daily. It’s a unique word search game where you can connect letters in any direction to form words, creating snake-like shapes or backward words. The words you find usually fit a specific theme, and understanding the joke or fun behind the theme is part of the game. It’s short, fun, and a great brain warm-up.

If you want more classic word games and puzzles like the Mini Crossword, you can play more minis at the Washington Post, The Sun, and the LA Times. They have their own short crosswords that are the same 5×5 size as the New York Times one, except the Sun’s, which is a bit bigger at 7×7. They’re still small and fun if you don’t have much time to play. If you’re wondering when the New York Times crossword puzzle refreshes, it’s every day at 2 a.m. CT. You don’t need to stay up late for it; just play it in the morning with your coffee. It’s a great way to start a slow morning.