5 Essential Tips to Understanding Crossword Clues (2024)

This handy guide will help you make sense of cheeky and clever crossword puzzles.

Sharon Brandwein

March 7, 2024

5 Essential Tips to Understanding Crossword Clues (1)

As crossword stans, we know that crossword puzzles are a great way to challenge your vocabulary and problem-solving skills. But for those just dipping their toe into the world of crossword puzzles, the grid itself may appear daunting. Understanding the crossword puzzle clues is your ticket to solving them down to the last square. Ahead we’ve put together a cheat sheet for reading and understanding crossword clues.

Pay Attention To Tense

Crossword answers will always follow the same tense as the clue. So be sure to pay attention to whether the clue is in past, present, or future tense. Your answers depend on it.

Here’s an example from the February 7, 2024, level of Universal Crossword:
Clue: Intended
Answer: MEANT

Mind Plurals and Singulars

Keeping an eye out for hints at plurality is another key piece of the puzzle (see what we did there?). Hints like "many," "several," or simply adding an S to the clue's subject are dead giveaways.

The February 13, 2024, level of The Modern Crossword demonstrates this well:
Clue: Some short skirts
Answer: MINIS

Take Note of Parts of Speech

Crossword clues often challenge players by using words with multiple meanings or changing a word’s part of speech. If a crossword clue hints at a person, place, or thing, the answer will be a noun. If it hints at an action word, the answer will be a verb.

Check out Universal Crossword’s January 26, 2024, level for what we mean:
Clue: Actress Menzel of “Wicked”
Answer: IDINA

And this one from January 24, 2024:
Clue: Does some basic math
Answer: ADDS

What are Question Mark Clues?

While question marks indicate a straightforward inquiry for the rest of the world, seasoned puzzlers will tell you crossword clues with question marks often indicate wordplay or a pun. You’ll have to put your thinking cap on for these clues and expect the unexpected—double meanings and clever twists are the name of the game.

The February 6, 2024, Universal Crossword level serves up a playful example:
Clue: Hit game?
Answer: BATTLESHIP

Understand Clues Ending in “Say”

If your crossword puzzle clue ends in “say,” this typically indicates that the answer belongs to a broader category. Before you pencil in 31-Across, keep in mind that clues that end in “say” aren’t always one-to-one synonyms—multiple answers may fit the definition and interpretations may be broad.

We got a kick out of this clue in the February 1, 2024, Universal Crossword:
Clue: Puff on a joint, say
Answer: SMOKEGRASS

And this one from January 27, 2024, which may make you LOL:
Clue: Passed Go and collected $400, say
Answer: CHEATED

5 Essential Tips to Understanding Crossword Clues (2024)

FAQs

5 Essential Tips to Understanding Crossword Clues? ›

Tackle the easiest clues first.

Scan through the clues, and knock out all the easiest ones. Not only will this give your gameplay some structure, but also it'll give you an ego boost! Typically, fill-in-the-blank clues are the easiest. For example: “___ of Oz.”

Is there a trick to solving crossword puzzles? ›

Tackle the easiest clues first.

Scan through the clues, and knock out all the easiest ones. Not only will this give your gameplay some structure, but also it'll give you an ego boost! Typically, fill-in-the-blank clues are the easiest. For example: “___ of Oz.”

How do you decipher crossword clues? ›

8 powerful ways to solve cryptic crossword puzzles
  • Look for “anagram” clues. ...
  • Consider whether a word needs to be reversed. ...
  • Find the hidden answer indicator. ...
  • Double definition. ...
  • Soudalike. ...
  • Don't take clues literally. ...
  • Use previous crosswords to improve. ...
  • Acrostic clues.

How to interpret crossword puzzle clues? ›

Tips for Beginners
  1. The clue will always be in the same part of speech as the answer. ...
  2. If a clue is plural, you can assume that the answer will be too. ...
  3. The same goes for verb tenses. ...
  4. If the clue features an abbreviation, so will the answer.
May 3, 2020

What skills do you need to be good at crosswords? ›

Understand Clue Types: Familiarize yourself with common clue types used in crossword puzzles, such as “Definition” clues, which provide a straightforward meaning of the word; “Anagram” clues, which require rearranging letters to form a new word; “Charade” clues, which involve combining multiple words to form the answer ...

Is there any trick to solve puzzles? ›

Turn all the pieces up the right way

By turning the pieces all to face upwards, you'll be able to see the image clearly and it will save time having to go through each piece individually. It is also easier to look at pieces and see if they match colours or patterns and be able to sort them together (see tip number 4!).

What are the helpful tips for crossword puzzles? ›

Fill the easiest clues first

Scan the list of clues for direct hints. Clues that ask you to fill in the blank, or for an antonym (opposite) are easy to guess. If you're good at quizzing and follow the news, then try the trivia-based clues next. They often use recent events.

How to understand crossword puzzle? ›

5 Essential Tips to Understand Crossword Clues
  1. Pay Attention To Tense. Crossword answers will always follow the same tense as the clue. ...
  2. Mind Plurals and Singulars. ...
  3. Take Note of Parts of Speech. ...
  4. What are Question Mark Clues? ...
  5. Understand Clues Ending in “Say”
Mar 7, 2024

What is the trick to cryptic crosswords? ›

The keys to solving Cryptic Crosswords are recognizing where the two parts separate and which is standard definition and which is wordplay. Types of wordplay common in Cryptic Crosswords are anagrams, reversal, charades, concealment, container, homograph, homophone, deletion, lettering, and literal.

What are the rules of crossword clues? ›

Crossword clues are generally consistent with the solutions. For instance, clues and their solutions should always agree in tense, number, and degree. If a clue is in the past tense, so is the answer: thus "Traveled on horseback" would be a valid clue for the solution RODE, but not for RIDE.

How do crossword puzzles affect the brain? ›

Working on a puzzle reinforces connections between brain cells, improves mental speed and is an effective way to improve short-term memory. Puzzles increase the production of dopamine, a chemical that regulates mood, memory, and concentration. Dopamine is released with every success as we solve the puzzle.

What does GP mean in crossword puzzles? ›

Grand prix – GP. Group – GP. Gunners/Gunmen – RA (Royal Artillery)

Is there a trick to crossword puzzles? ›

Fill in the blanks first

Every puzzle usually has a small handful of fill-in-the-blanks, so if you're looking to get an early confidence boost, scan the list of clues for fill-in-the-blanks and knock them out early.

How to train for crossword puzzles? ›

Do Puzzles Every Day. The only way to improve at crosswords is to do lots of them, and the best way to do that is to work them into your daily routine. For me, that means tackling a few puzzles from an ancient book of 365 Will Shortz crosswords before bed every night.

What do you call someone who is good at crosswords? ›

CRUCIVERBALIST Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com.

Is there a strategy to crosswords? ›

Fill in the blanks first

Every puzzle usually has a small handful of fill-in-the-blanks, so if you're looking to get an early confidence boost, scan the list of clues for fill-in-the-blanks and knock them out early.

What is the hardest day for crossword puzzles? ›

How hard could it be? The Saturday crossword is actually the hardest puzzle of the week. Mondays have the most straightforward clues and Saturday clues are the hardest, or involve the most wordplay. Contrary to popular belief, the Sunday puzzles are midweek difficulty, not the hardest.

What is the AI that solves crosswords? ›

Let ClickUp AI be your ultimate crossword puzzle assistant! With this prompt, you can quickly get a list of synonyms for any clue, helping you find the perfect answer and conquer that crossword puzzle in no time.

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