NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for March 10, 2003

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

Monday, March 10, 2003

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:01 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, March 10, 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.

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

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Sunday, March 9, 2003

across

1. Shield from the elements: TARP
5. Express letters?: ASAP
9. 1960's refugee haven: MIAMI
14. Of interest to collectors, say: RARE
18. Promise, e.g.: OLEO
19. Die: CUBE
20. Group with the 1997 #1 hit "MMMBop": HANSON
21. Oil of ___: OLAY
22. Where to shelve Bibles in the bookstore?: REVERENCESECTION
25. Pro or con: SIDE
26. Began: AROSE
27. Careful study of an old record collection?: VINYLANALYSIS
29. Papal indulgences?: HOLYWAIVERS
33. Kennedy posting: Abbr.: ETA
34. Moreover: TOO
35. High flier: SST
36. Tries not to meet: AVOIDS
37. It may require several drafts: GLIDER
40. Make known: AIR
41. Going-away request: WRITE
42. Commonly: ALOT
43. Oscar winner for "A Fish Called Wanda": KLINE
45. Was extremely tall?: STOODVAST
49. First elected member at Cooperstown: TYCOBB
52. Work units: ERGS
53. Dilutes: THINS
54. It's silent in honor: AITCH
56. James of "The Godfather": CAAN
58. Mighty long time: EON
59. Remington or Browning?: WINCHESTERRIVAL
65. Southeastern Conference powerhouse: ARKANSAS
69. Suffix with election: EER
70. "Hamlet" setting: ELSINORE
71. What a meditative ditchdigger might get?: LOSTINTHESHOVEL
74. One might get caught in it: LIE
75. Swing around: SLUE
76. Petroleum source: SHALE
77. "I understand": ROGER
79. Climax: ACME
82. Grimm child: GRETEL
84. Sounds on a Peter, Paul & Mary album?: TRIVOCALS
88. Point at the bottom: CLEAT
90. Snorkeling site: REEF
91. Alaska Peninsula native: ALEUT
92. Low-___: TAR
93. Not moving: ATREST
96. Alarm bell: TOCSIN
98. Theol. school: SEM
101. Indignation: IRE
102. Helper: CUE
103. Doubly disgusting?: RANKANDVILE
105. Result of beer sellers sampling their own wares?: VENDORBENDERS
110. Pillow filler: EIDER
111. Swenson of "Benson": INGA
112. Dismaying realization at a bank that's just been robbed?: NOVAULTINSURANCE
116. Society's dregs: SCUM
117. Again and again?: TRIPLY
118. Ones getting socked?: TOES
119. "___ not fight": LETS
120. Middle-schooler, maybe: TEEN
121. It's a relief: ONLAY
122. Nice place: EDEN
123. Part of CBS: Abbr.: SYST

down

1. Sacred texts: TORAHS
2. Midsized Oldsmobiles: ALEROS
3. No longer take it: REVOLT
4. Yeats's work: POESY
5. War hero: ACE
6. Overhead light?: SUN
7. Where "The Fugitive" aired in the 1960's: ABC
8. Out of sorts: PEEVED
9. Department store founder: MACY
10. Part of many airport names: Abbr.: INTL
11. Largest of seven: ASIA
12. Gave one's seat to, say: MOONED
13. Hard-wired: INNATE
14. Promising: ROSY
15. Cooke on TV: ALISTAIR
16. Sending an S O S, maybe: RADIOING
17. They're not pretty: EYESORES
20. Fowl: HENS
23. Fruits of one's labor: REWARDS
24. Noblemen: SIRS
28. Carefree outing: LARK
30. Tel ___: AVIV
31. Minuscule amount: IOTA
32. Struggles: VIES
37. Ingredient in skin moisturizers: GLYCEROL
38. Scottish vacation spots: LOCHS
39. Japanese leader Hirobumi ___: ITO
41. Korean money: WON
42. When a football game breaks: ATTHEHALF
44. Overthrower of Kerensky: LENIN
45. Appropriate: STEAL
46. Complete, informally: THORO
47. Sow sounds: OINKS
48. Camelhair color: TAN
50. Lymphocyte found in marrow: BCELL
51. Blocks: BARS
55. Arctic cover: ICESHEET
57. "Exodus" protagonist: ARI
59. It's in the spring: WATER
60. Ending with fool or ghoul: ISH
61. Kickoff need: TEE
62. Europe's longest river: VOLGA
63. 1965 book by Sylvia Plath: ARIEL
64. Bad looks: LEERS
66. Befuddled: ATSEA
67. Naught: NIL
68. Pleasantly small: SNUG
72. ___ Park, Colo.: ESTES
73. Wormer, say: VET
77. Habitual drunkard: ROUNDER
78. When D.S.T. ends: OCT
79. One with a cause: ACTIVIST
80. "It's a Wonderful Life" role: CLARENCE
81. Dance with a sliding step: MERENGUE
83. Prior to: ERE
85. 15-ball cluster: RACK
86. ___ Lund: ILSA
87. Way to one's heart: VEIN
89. Tex-Mex order: TACO
94. Seek aid from: TURNTO
95. Back again: REBORN
96. Lemony, e.g.: TART
97. Like some job training: ONSITE
98. Director Lumet: SIDNEY
99. Votes in: ELECTS
100. Minimum: MEREST
103. Depend (on): RELY
104. Scent containers: VIALS
106. Angry outburst: DAMN
107. Wickedness: EVIL
108. Valley of vintners: NAPA
109. Properly: DULY
113. Common consent: NOD
114. "Get it?": SEE
115. Captain's org.: USN

Hints and full breakdown for Mar 9

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.