NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 3, 1997

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Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Thursday, July 3, 1997

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:37 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, July 3, 1997. The daily crossword is the classic: a 15×15 grid on weekdays and a larger Sunday puzzle, with difficulty rising from a gentle Monday to a fiendish Saturday. Hints come first and the solution stays hidden until you ask for it.

78 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Wednesday, July 2, 1997

across

1. Sports Illustrated's 1974 Sportsman of the Year: ALI
4. Steep: CLIFF
9. English poet laureate Nahum ___: TATE
13. TV host who does "Headlines": LENO
15. Vietnam's capital: HANOI
16. Roman Eros: AMOR
17. Like an inveterate procrastinator: LATE
18. Put together: INALL
19. Negri of the silent screen: POLA
20. Start of a Jonathan Swift quote: EVERYMANDESIRES
23. Col.'s boss: GEN
24. Sheriff Taylor's son, in 60's TV: OPIE
25. Tit for tat?: TRADE
26. "The Kiss" sculptor: RODIN
28. Half of CXII: LVI
30. ___ Angeles: LOS
31. Political losers: OUTS
32. Select: APPOINT
36. Part 2 of the quote: TOLIVELONGBUT
40. Mother-of-pearl source: ABALONE
41. In a bit: ANON
43. Mrs. Nixon: PAT
46. J.F.K. regular: SST
47. Played out: TRITE
48. Lyric poem: EPODE
50. Largest of seven: ASIA
53. Bird call: CAW
54. End of the quote: NOMANWOULDBEOLD
58. Surveyor's map: PLAT
59. Do-___: ORDIE
60. ___-dieu: PRIE
61. Konrad Adenauer, Der ___: ALTE
62. Orchestra section: REEDS
63. Architectural pier: ANTA
64. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author: LOOS
65. "Haystacks" painter: MONET
66. Word part: Abbr.: SYL

down

1. Lively bit of music: ALLEGRO
2. Omit: LEAVEOUT
3. Plan on it: INTENDTO
4. Early rocket traveler: CHIMP
5. Veranda: LANAI
6. Mindless: INANE
7. Drop out, in poker: FOLD
8. Put away, in a way: FILE
9. Tropical animal: TAPIR
10. Without scruples: AMORAL
11. Mid-American Conference team: TOLEDO
12. Rubs out: ERASES
14. Poet's contraction: OER
21. Partner for hither: YON
22. Iodine reaction: STING
27. Mallorca, e.g.: ISLA
28. Symbol of craziness: LOON
29. Hollywood cross street: VINE
32. Rock video prizes: AVAS
33. Hide: PELT
34. Arafat's org.: PLO
35. Skier's aid: TBAR
37. "Little Eyolf" playwright: IBSEN
38. Beasts on the royal arms of Scotland: UNICORNS
39. Wholeness: TOTALITY
42. F.D.R. accomplishment: NEWDEAL
43. One involved in foreign exchange?: PENPAL
44. Lover of Daphne: APOLLO
45. Campbell's choice: TOMATO
47. Bill: TAB
49. Times to remember?: DATES
50. "The Age of Anxiety" poet: AUDEN
51. Playground fixture: SLIDE
52. Phrase of explanation: IDEST
55. Contemptible person: WORM
56. Chocolate snack: OREO
57. Govt. watchdog group: EPA

Hints and full breakdown for Jul 2

More daily puzzle hints

How the week is built

Monday and Tuesday: straightforward definitions and familiar answers. These are the best days to learn.
Wednesday: a step up, often with a playful theme.
Thursday: the trick day, with rebus squares (several letters in one square) and answers that turn corners or skip squares.
Friday and Saturday: themeless and tough, with sly clues and long open sections.
Sunday: a bigger 21×21 grid with a theme, about as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday.

Crossword-solving habits worth building

Learn the common fill. Short vowel-heavy words such as ERA, OREO, ALOE and ETNA appear constantly because they help constructors connect sections.
Read clue signals. "?" means wordplay, "Abbr." means an abbreviation, "e.g." means an example of a category, and a foreign word in the clue hints at a foreign answer.
Find the theme. The longest answers usually share a gimmick; the title (on Sundays) or a "revealer" clue explains it.
Erase without fear. When crossings don't work, the wrong letter is usually in the answer you were most confident about.
Use targeted help. Reveal one letter here, or try our crossword solver with a pattern like ?R?S?.

The Crossword FAQ

When is the next crossword released?

Weekday puzzles go live at 10 p.m. Eastern Time the night before; weekend puzzles are released earlier in the evening.

What is a rebus square?

A square that holds more than one letter. Sometimes it holds a whole word or a symbol. They are most common on Thursdays.

Which day is the hardest?

Saturday is generally the hardest, followed by Friday. Sunday is larger but closer to midweek difficulty.

Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive.