NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 22, 2002

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Monday, July 22, 2002

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:06 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, July 22, 2002. 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.

76 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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Sunday, July 21, 2002

across

1. Chemical used in perfumes: ACETAL
7. Like bananas Foster: FLAMBE
13. Façade part: CEDILLA
20. 1954 title role for Audrey Hepburn: SABRINA
21. Pleasure trip vessels: LINERS
22. Clinton, once: OXONIAN
23. Fleshly: CARNAL
24. Socratic conclusions?: OMEGAS
25. Money in reserve: NESTEGG
26. Insect repellent ingredient: ALOE
27. April 25, Down Under: ANZACDAY
29. "Swingin' the Blues" songwriter: BASIE
30. Passage with a moral: PARABLE
32. Early afternoon time: ONETEN
34. Pulitzer Prize category: DRAMA
38. Bothers: EATSAT
41. Shipwreck cause, sometimes: REEF
42. Exiled Cambodian leader: LONNOL
43. Christmas decorations: LIGHTS
47. Featured vocalists' selections: SOLI
48. Caduceus creatures: SNAKES
50. Due follower: TRE
51. Grenoble's department: ISERE
52. At ___ (befuddled): ALOSS
54. Draft picks: ALES
55. Dainty gem: BIJOU
56. Oscar nominee Zellweger: RENEE
57. "When I was a ___ ..." (storyteller's start): LITTLEBOY
59. Hardly try: COAST
60. Took on again, as a problem: RETACKLED
62. Archipelago makeup: Abbr.: ISLS
63. Humiliates: SHAMES
64. Cartoonist Addams: CHAS
65. Hardy English sheep: ROMNEY
67. The Hardy Boys' sidekick: CHET
68. Unrushed pedestrian: AMBLER
71. Speck: MOTE
72. Play ball: COOPERATE
76. Bazookas, basically: TUBES
77. "I've had it!" inspiration: LASTSTRAW
80. Flavorful: SAPID
81. Command post: Abbr.: HDQRS
82. They may click with writers: PENS
83. Journalist Alexander: SHANA
84. Place for a professeur: ECOLE
85. It could be to the left of center: EPI
86. "Gunsmoke" star: ARNESS
88. Give an ___ effort: EFOR
89. "American Beauty" hero: LESTER
90. Bitty bite: NIBBLE
92. Pupil's place: UVEA
93. Must: NEEDTO
95. Group of gods led by Odin: AESIR
96. Medium setting: SEANCE
98. Chef Emeril: LAGASSE
103. Designer's concern: DECOR
105. Dentists may take them: JAWXRAYS
108. Rob of "The West Wing": LOWE
109. Sweet Italian wine: MARSALA
112. Upstairs window: DORMER
113. In the center: MEDIAL
115. Mopey one: BROODER
116. Put on a pedestal: ESTEEM
117. Break down: ANALYZE
118. Léotard and Silhouette, e.g.: EPONYMS
119. Peewee: TEENSY
120. Egypt's Lake ___: NASSER

down

1. Rights org.: ASCAP
2. Occult science: CABALA
3. Diamond flaw?: ERROR
4. Skin disease: TINEA
5. Collected sayings: ANA
6. Sung syllables: LALALA
7. Abbr. on a soda bottle: FLOZ
8. City founded by Pizarro: LIMA
9. Storyteller: ANECDOTIST
10. "Will & Grace" actress Mullally: MEGAN
11. Upset donkeys, often: BRAYERS
12. Winding path: ESS
13. Cinematic barbarian: CONAN
14. They've split: EXES
15. Barn dance moves: DOSIDOS
16. Lewinsky was one: INTERN
17. Tell it like it isn't: LIE
18. Not be up-to-date: LAG
19. Geom. measure: ANG
28. Store total: NETSALES
29. Low-fat meat providers: BEEFALOS
31. Petitions: BESEECHES
33. In a defensible manner: TENABLY
35. Preventing stoppages: ANTIJAM
36. Down in the dumps: MOROSE
37. Unalaska residents: ALEUTS
39. Unwavering: SOLID
40. Heaps: ALOT
42. "___ Girls": LES
43. Transportation to N.Y.C.: LIRR
44. "Amazing Grace" ending: ISEE
45. Site of an 1814 treaty: GHENT
46. Sweet toppings: TREACLES
49. Cryptographer's need: KEY
53. Dieter's desire: SLIMNESS
55. Regatta: BOATRACE
58. Suffix with telegraph: ESE
59. Edible holiday gift: CHEESELOG
61. Bright, to Brecht: KLAR
63. Word with chop or swap: SHOP
65. Arm of the Antarctic Ocean: ROSSSEA
66. Giants legend: OTT
67. Yellow: COWARDLY
68. Parthenon honoree: ATHENA
69. Rich chocolate dessert: MUDPIE
70. Entree covered with sauce: BBQRIBS
71. Zig or zag, e.g.: MANEUVER
72. Slalom craft: CANOE
73. Deaf as ___: APOST
74. Parquet alternative: TILE
75. German river: EDER
77. Sportscaster Berman: LEN
78. Marvel superhero group: THENEWXMEN
79. Ben Affleck, in "Pearl Harbor": RAFE
82. Possessed leader?: PRE
86. "So soon?": ALREADY
87. Costa Rica's capital: SANJOSE
91. Tries to buy: BIDSON
94. 17th-century explorer: TASMAN
96. Goes hang-gliding: SOARS
97. Café handout: CARTE
99. Actors Robert and Antony: ALDAS
100. Besmirches: SOILS
101. "Camel News Caravan" host, 1949-56: SWAYZE
102. Sushi bar supplier: EELER
104. Red Skelton character: CLEM
106. Roger of "Cheers": REES
107. Black Knights of college football: ARMY
109. U.K. honor: MBE
110. Cercle et Carré artist: ARP
111. Outback jumper: ROO
112. N.Y.P.D. employee: DET
114. Character in "Bambi": ENA

Hints and full breakdown for Jul 21

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.