What is a Crossword Clue?
According to The New York Times, a crossword clue is “a hint that the solver must decipher to find the answer that is then entered into the puzzle grid.” Depending on the puzzle type, clues can range from synonyms to definitions, from puns to wordplay and from general knowledge to fill-in-the-blanks. The possibilities are endless.
If you already have an answer to a clue, use the Crossword Clue tool above to search for clues that have the same answer.
What is a Crossword Answer?
When you solve for a clue, the resulting word or phrase is the answer, sometimes called a “fill”. Fills can range from one word to multiple words. When you have solved for all clues in a puzzle, all of the answers contribute to a completed puzzle.
If you’re stuck on a crossword clue and can’t decipher and answer, don’t worry! Plug your clue into the Crossword Solver to search through millions of clue/answer pairs for a possible solution.
Crossword Construction
Would you like to create your own crossword puzzles? Whether you’re a teacher, a crossword enthusiast or just having some fun, the Crossword Clue tool is the perfect sidekick for crossword constructing. Enter a word or phrase into the search box to generate a list of clues with that same answer. Use the results as inspiration for creating your own clues. You’ll be an expert compiler in no time!
Check out the Crossword Solver to search for clues with different answers.
To create a crossword puzzle on Wordplays.com, use the Crossword Puzzle Maker.
Learn Crosswordese
Crosswordese is a group of words used by puzzle constructors to add more vowels to the board. These range from abbreviations to fictional cartoon characters, or from brand names to latin phrases. As you continue through your solving journey, you’ll begin to familiarize yourself with some of the most common Crosswordese. Here are some of our favorites:
SMEE (Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain or a small compact diving duck)
Clues that contain SMEE:
- Right-hand man for a man with no right hand
- Ducks out of bosses meeting
- Captain Hook’s sidekick yells “duck!”
IRA (A man’s name, or an Individual Retirement Account)
Clues that contain IRA:
- Man's name has a certain air about it
- Part of a nest egg, in brief
- Investment alternative to a 401(k): Abbr.
ALI (Boxing legend or Folktale hero)
Clues that contain ALI: