How to Read a Crossword Clue: Blanks, Abbreviations and Question Marks
Every clue in an American crossword is a small contract. The constructor promises that the answer could replace the clue in a sentence: same part of speech, same tense, same number. Once you know the handful of signals editors use, many clues stop looking mysterious.
The answer matches the clue word for word
A clue written in the past tense has a past-tense answer. A plural clue has a plural answer, which is why so many answers end in S. If the clue is an adjective, the answer is an adjective too.
- "Ran quickly" points to a past-tense verb such as SPED or DASHED.
- "Large bodies of water" wants a plural: SEAS or OCEANS.
- "Very tired" is a description, so the answer describes too: WEARY, SPENT or ALL IN.
A blank means "fill in the missing word"
Clues such as "___ of the above" or "Once ___ a time" are the easiest in the grid. Say the phrase out loud and the missing word usually arrives on its own (NONE, UPON). Many solvers fill every blank clue first to get free letters for the harder ones.
"Abbr." and short forms
When the clue contains an abbreviation or ends with "Abbr.", the answer is shortened as well. A clue that names a state by its postal code wants a two-letter code; a clue with "e.g." often wants an example rather than a definition.
The question mark warns you about wordplay
A question mark at the end says: do not take me literally. "Bank robber?" might be a river that wears away its bank. Read these clues twice, once for the surface meaning and once for a pun.
Short definitions are the backbone
Most clues are simply a short definition of the answer. That is exactly what this site is built on: every clue page starts from a dictionary definition, so the answers are words that really mean what the clue says. A few examples:
- Expression of greeting → HELLO, HOWDY, HOW-DO-YOU-DO
- In the near future → SOON, BEFORE LONG, SHORTLY
- Male goat → BILLY
- Informal term for a father → DAD, DADDY, PAPA
When you are stuck
Type the whole clue into the solver, choose how many squares the answer has, and fill in any letters that crossing answers already gave you. The list shrinks to the words that fit.