NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for February 22, 2003

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Saturday, February 22, 2003

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:02 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, February 22, 2003. 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.

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

Across clues & answers

1
See 59-Across
6
Kachina performer
10
In very short order
14
Corday killed him
15
"___ in Berlin" (1960 jazz album)
16
Luncheon follower
17
Popular snack chip
18
Produce a faint image of
20
Stir up trouble
22
Picture with a posse, perhaps
23
Natural boundary
24
Holders of blessed bread
25
Scammed
28
Part of some Muslim households
29
Extensive variety
31
Asian waist product?
34
Old Testament book
35
They may leave a stain
36
Uintah and Ouray Reservation inhabitants
37
Early '50s soldier
38
American competitor
40
Set off
42
State follower, sometimes
43
Some steak preparers
45
"Fiddler on the Roof" star
46
Routine
47
They may be shifted in transit
51
Banks' go-between
53
Name on a compact
54
Roll and bind
55
___ Dartle, woman in "David Copperfield"
56
One may be picky
57
Exercise options?
58
First-year Harvard law student
59
With 1-Across, pseudo-wits

Down clues & answers

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Friday, February 21, 2003

across

1. General assembly?: TOPBRASS
9. What leaky pens leave: GLOBS
14. Visited overnight: STAYEDAT
15. Predisposed: LIABLE
16. "Is that so?": OHREALLY
17. Shakespearean character in a "most extracting frenzy": OLIVIA
18. Monarch capturer: NET
19. Hard rock band?: DIAMONDRING
21. Very smooth: GLIB
23. Cloth on certain tables: BAIZE
24. Opposite of peace: ADO
25. It might help you get up: ALARM
27. Tom's cries: MEOWS
29. ___ Hughes, former British poet laureate: TED
30. Performed a cadenza, e.g.: SOLOED
32. Bamboozles: SNOOKERS
34. "Our Town" family name: WEBB
36. Poet ___ Wheeler Wilcox: ELLA
37. Place for a brush: PAINTCAN
41. Some forensic evidence: FIBERS
45. Theory: ISM
46. Kind of collector: SOLAR
48. Stupid: DOPEY
49. Crankcase additive: STP
50. "Stand and Deliver" star, 1987: OLMOS
52. Certain pens: BICS
53. Like an air-filled lifeboat: COLLAPSIBLE
57. Mind the baby: SIT
58. Black-and-orange bird: ORIOLE
59. Early motion picture projector: BIOSCOPE
61. 1980's South African president ___ Botha: PIETER
62. Working together: INTANDEM
63. Brewers' kilns: OASTS
64. Lack of color: ASHINESS

down

1. Also-ran for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination: TSONGAS
2. Play set mostly in Cyprus: OTHELLO
3. Incomplete: PARTIAL
4. Departure announcement: BYE
5. Interpret: READ
6. Improvised: ADLIB
7. Low bow: SALAAM
8. Blocks: STYMIES
9. Put a coat on: GILD
10. Hideaway: LAIR
11. Render unnecessary: OBVIATE
12. Bridle attachment: BLINDER
13. Proteus and Nereus: SEAGODS
15. Independent sort: LONEWOLF
20. Thunderstorm residue: OZONE
22. Fry a bit: BROWN
26. Comes together: MEETS
28. Dependable: SOLID
31. Legendary criminal played by Treat Williams in a 1981 movie: DBCOOPER
33. One stuck in the kitchen: KABOB
35. Dances: BALLS
37. Early 80's "S.N.L." comic: PISCOPO
38. Residential section of Queens: ASTORIA
39. Suggests: IMPLIES
40. Windhoek is its capital: NAMIBIA
42. Installment: EPISODE
43. File box contents, maybe: RECIPES
44. Some analysts' concerns: SYSTEMS
47. Spring signalers: ROBINS
51. Big-toed animal: SLOTH
54. Former Senate majority leader: LOTT
55. Porters: ALES
56. Actor Morales: ESAI
60. "This is ___": CNN

Hints and full breakdown for Feb 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.