44 Across

NYT Daily • August 2, 2025

Roll producer

Answer:

BAKER

Hint:

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue \"Roll producer\":\n\n**\"This person might knead dough to make a certain bread item.\"**\n\nThis hint:\n- Guides the solver toward the idea of bread-making (without saying \"roll\" again).\n- Uses \"knead\" as a gentle nudge toward baking terminology.\n- Avoids giving away the answer directly while making the connection clearer than the original clue."]

Explanation:

The clue "Roll producer" leads to the answer "BAKER" through a clever play on words. - **"Roll"** can refer to a type of bread (e.g., a dinner roll or a bread roll), which is produced by a baker. - **"Producer"** hints at the person who makes or creates something—in this case, the person who makes rolls (the bread, not the action of rolling). Thus, the wordplay connects "roll" (bread) with "producer" (baker) to arrive at the answer "BAKER." There’s no additional cultural reference here—just a straightforward example of a crossword’s use of double meanings.

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