20 Across

NYT Daily • August 5, 2025

"Kinda ___"

Answer:

SORTA

Hint:

["Think of a casual way to say \"Somewhat.\""]

Explanation:

"Kinda ___" is a casual way to say "somewhat" or "to a certain extent," and "sorta" fits perfectly as a slang contraction of "sort of." The clue mimics how people often drop the "of" in everyday speech, making it a natural fill-in. It’s a straightforward definition with no hidden wordplay—just a common phrase you’d hear in conversation.