10 Down

NYT Daily • August 14, 2025

A winning scenario in a best-of-three game

Answer:

TWOFORTWO

Hint:

Think of the score when both sides have won once and the next point decides all.

Explanation:

In a best-of-three game, you win by taking two matches before your opponent does. The answer "TWOFORTWO" plays on this idea—it literally means "two wins for you" (the "two for two" phrasing reinforces the score). The clue cleverly avoids spelling it out directly, relying on the solver to connect the winning condition to the phrase.

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