Strike zone’s lower boundary NYT crossword clue

The clue “Strike zone’s lower boundary” points to the word KNEES. In baseball, the official strike zone extends from just below the batter’s chest down to the area at the top of the knees. This lower boundary helps umpires determine whether a pitch is within the legal zone for a strike.

In crossword puzzles, sports-related clues often rely on rule-based knowledge. Knowing the vertical limits of a baseball strike zone—especially that it ends at the knees—makes this clue fairly straightforward for fans of the game. The answer is short, accurate, and fits well into a typical crossword grid.