Types of Crossword Clues and How to Solve Each

Not all crossword clues work the same way. American crosswords use different conventions from British cryptic crosswords, and clue types vary from puzzle to puzzle. Knowing what type of clue you are looking at is the first step to solving it.

Definition Clues (Most Common)

Standard American crossword clues are direct definitions. "Capital of France" = PARIS. "Opposite of wet" = DRY. The trick is that the definition may be oblique — "Hollywood trophy" is OSCAR, not AWARD. Always think about what word fits the specific meaning.

Fill-in-the-Blank Clues

These clues give you part of a phrase: "___ and cheese" = MAC, "Rock and ___" = ROLL. Fill-in-the-blank clues are usually among the easiest in the puzzle. Complete the phrase in your head and you have the answer.

Question Mark Clues

A clue ending in ? signals wordplay, a pun, or a tricky interpretation. "Dog's bark?" is not WOOF — it might be TREE SKIN. "Pitcher's asset?" might be ARM rather than SPEED. Read these creatively, not literally.

Abbreviation Clues

• If the clue contains an abbreviation, the answer is usually abbreviated too.
• "Ave. crosser" = ST (Street, abbreviated to match Ave.)
• "Sgt.'s superior" = LT or CPT
• "Dr.'s org." = AMA

Using a Crossword Solver

When you have some letters from crossing answers but cannot identify the word, enter your known letters as a pattern into SmartUnscramble's crossword solver. For example, if you know the word starts with B, has an O in position 3, and is five letters long, enter B??O? and instantly see every matching word.