Questions tagged [crossword-clues]
A question relating to interpretation of clues in a crossword puzzle, or to generation of clues in a crossword puzzle. Use [cryptic-clues] for clues obeying the conventions of cryptic crosswords, [crosswords] or [cryptic-crosswords] for whole crosswords rather than individual clues.
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Why is "review" the answer to the crossword clue "entertainment"?
I just moved from normal to hard in an online crossword game today, and one clue was simply 'entertainment'.
The answer turned out to be 'review' and I have no idea how that links using the standard ...
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🧩CRYPTICROSS🧩
You’ve been framed for the heist of a famous painting! Can you sort out the clues and come up with a convincing alibi?
Solve it on Penpa+!
Note: Although not necessary to solve this puzzle, the ...
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When in Rome... – a deconstruction sudoku
This is part 63 of the puzzle series Around the World in Many Days. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
This is a sudoku deconstruction puzzle. Draw eight non-overlapping rectangular ...
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Explanation of NYT crossword clue 'front' with answer 'van'
The NYT crossword on 10/29/2005 had the clue 'front' for 34 across. The answer turned out to be VAN. Can someone explain the logic behind that to me?
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Two favorites combined: A Crypto Sudoku
Below is just a plain old sudoku. However, the clues given are a little bit different than usual. It's your job to use them properly. Note: Not every letter makes the same digit, nor every digit is ...
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Relax, I’m Kidnapped! - Part 1
You are known for making relaxing videos on YouTube. You are casually checking your mail, when suddenly, you find a crossword. After you receive it, you hear your dog barking. Someone is knocking on ...
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How does "thou" equal "oneg"?
While doing a crossword today, I came across the clue "Thou". The correct answer ended up being "oneg". I can't make heads or tails of this, no matter how I parse it. How does &...
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'Middle Row' crossword clue in today's Sunday Times concise crossword
In today’s Sunday Times concise crossword, there’s a clue
(Middle Row) ———- (7)
with brackets and a dash, as shown.
The answer appears to be Lebanon. I’m baffled. It’s not a cryptic clue.
Any ideas?
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Two crossword clues
I don’t know why I’m making this, but here are 2 crossword clues off the top of my head. (And no, no crosswords for you!)
To play rock, paper, scissors agressively? (5, 5)
Apolitical reactionist? (7)
user79541
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Why is “ELL” the solution to the crossword clue "Loss Leader?"?
I was doing a crossword from the NY Times (from Tuesday, October 25, 2022 By Ashleigh Silveira, Nick Shephard / Will Shortz) and I got the following clue.
29 DOWN - Loss leader?
The answer is "...
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Explain this NY Times Mini Crossword clue from Sept 20, 2022
In The Mini Crossword in the New York Times for Tuesday, September 20, 2022, there is a clue:
What "taxes," "wonkery" and "I mean" are each anagrams of [5 letters]
And ...
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Friends or Foes?
Text version of clues:
Center of the hearth?
Year ring? Yes!
Crazy place?
Sound sleep?
Summer house?
Twenty winds?
Wave hello?
Ten times an unknown?
Only ground?
Strong by chance?
Soul-nourishing ...
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The Video Gamers' Double-Duty Crossword 2
See the original HERE
Video games — Trivia vs Wordplay — one more time:
Here are twenty crossword clues that describe twenty video games. Solve them if you'd like! Or, if you treat each clue as ...
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Why does "What a good boy is Paddy! But he's in the soup this time." clue "Broth"? [closed]
The clue:
What a good boy is Paddy! But he's in the soup this time.
Answer: Broth. How is that?
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How is a crossword clue to be interpreted when it contains (… includes part of #-Direction)?
Given crossword contains two examples of these clues. This crossword is complete and correct.
43 Across reads:
Component of a teacher's interview (... includes part of 28-Down)
Clue for 28 down:
...
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A new adventure awaits! Let's go!
UPDATE: To make this puzzle fairer, the pieces have been modified to include additional hints. If you want to try and solve the puzzle with the original non-clued pieces, click here.
A tale is being ...
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Why is “AFTS” the solution to the crossword clue "Times before eves, in ads"?
I was doing a crossword from the NY Times (from Mon, Feb 11, 2019 by Portia Lundie / Will Shortz) and I got the following clue.
51 ACROSS - Times before eves, in ads
The answer is "AFTS". ...
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Why is 'logjam' the answer to 'function held up by traffic blockage'?
Why is 'logjam' the answer to 'function held up by traffic blockage'? I guess 'log' is function, and logjam is blockage but why 'jam/maj'? L,G & A are all correct.
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Why is “HADAT” the solution to the crossword clue "went after"?
I was doing crossword from NY Times, from Mon, Feb 11, 2019 by Howard Barkin + Will Shortz and I got the following clue.
Went after
The answer is "HADAT". However, I can not find ...
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Saving gamer Ryan!
Ryan is an avid gamer. He has played all sorts of games ranging from consoles like Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, etc. to PC games to mobile games. One day, it was raining heavily outside and (as always)...
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A sequence of three letter words/abbreviations
I have ten three letter words/abbreviations in a sequence, numbered 0-9, each of which differ by precisely one letter from their previous and next words. Here are clues for each of the words:
The ...
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Crossword puzzle clue Y's guys?
In the New York Times Tuesday October 14, 2008 crossword puzzle, 18 across, 4 letters, is "Y's guys?" and the answer is:
It must be fairly obvious but I can't figure out what this means. The question ...
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Why is "arrive" an answer for the crossword clue "like desert terrain"?
Possible source: https://nytminicrossword.com/nyt-mini-crossword-answers-january-14-2020/
ACROSS
1. Listen to
5. Desolate
7. Like desert terrain
8. Lines of work
9. Monopoly purchases
10. Armed ...
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Puzzle Hunt 02: Echoes of Change
This is part two in my clichéd treasure island puzzle series. The story carries directly on from part one.
You take an incredulous look at the map.
spoiler for part one
"That's a bit of a cliché. "...
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(11 of 11: Meta) What is Pyramid Cult's All-Time Favorite?
Dear PSE users and moderators,
I’m new here in PSE, but I really need your help. There was this person who gave me a black envelope consisting 10+1 pages of puzzles, and also a scribble saying: “Find ...
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- A Devil's Lie -
The printer's devil came into our office last night.
But today he said:
I am no evil (3)
I never E ards (3)
Ion LT fruits and vegetables (3)
I did ner your room. (4)
I didn't, ...
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A Smuggled List of S'S
Smuggled this strange list from [redacted] 's place. Maybe he is making a puzzle. Who is the victim?
Scarlet covers
Swindler's imprecation
Sour disordered equipment
Smash journal
...
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single cryptic crossword clue... sofa besmirched with urine? Nasty [9]
single cryptic crossword clue.
Sofa besmirched with urine? Nasty [9]
This was a clue in a recent cryptic puzzle I saw in a newspaper. I reproduce it here as I thought it might be of interest.
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Cryptic, then Crossword, then Clues
Answer is one word.
{1}{2}{3}{4} (6)
{1} [a] (7)
{2} [b][c][d][e] (6)
{3} [f] (3)
{4} [g][h][i] (6)
[a] Bonding family in cod (7)
[b] Container fight (3)
[c] Considering ...
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Help with a "tougher tuesday" crossword puzzle on "animal opposites"
I assume this must be some obscure word play that I can't figure out. The overall clue of this NYT style crossword puzzle is "Animal Opposites".
The three clues relevant to this overarching clue and ...
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Cryptic clue: Bum can't stop twitching in three directions?
Just a silly crossword-type cryptic clue. 9 letters.
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Thousands and thousands of words
This puzzle is part 25 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
...
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Drums and punctuation
This puzzle is part 19 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
...
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A burglar's sunglasses, a lady's odyssey
This puzzle is part 17 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
...
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Moons and messages
This puzzle is part 15 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
...
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Fortune tellers have dinner
I've seen these before somewhere (maybe here?), but they're all mixed up!
Who/what is being described by the clues below?
Consequence of a disastrous harvest
What a mathematician might do to ...
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cryptic clue: mammal sounds like relative consumer (8)
While solving this cryptic I figured out the answer to 1-across (mammal sounds like relative consumer) without solving the subsidiary indication. (I used down constraints and the standard part of the ...
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The Video Gamers' Double-Duty Crossword
"OK, so I know that you two are always arguing about what type of crosswords to do- 'Normal crosswords are too boring!' 'Cryptics are too esoteric!!' Trivia vs wordplay, yeah, I've heard both ...
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Is there a cryptic crossword clue that doesn't contain any actual word?
Is there a cryptic crossword clue that just contains some letter groups, numbers, and other things, but no actual words?
I mean the clue, not the solution.
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Is it fair to interlink clues?
Is it fair to link clues both ways? E.g. can I do:
1a. Local girl gives 8 (4, 4)
8d. 1 gives smooth head (5, 5)
I'm quite libertarian. What could I get away ...
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A Howler's Disposition
An entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #37: Rare and Endangered 1
I've made a 5X5 word square, meaning that each word is 5 letters long and the words are the same in those positions horizontally and ...
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You only have five
1: dim advantage in first French Expansion
(4,5): Kiss
Pain
Boot
City
History
Again
Eat
Avid
(5,13,13,5,3,4)
2: undisturbed apartment
ground hideout
attach badge
punch holder
1,3: advantage protect
...
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A nice 5x5 word square
Clues:
type of Indian cows;
what's done to money;
needs a good groom;
more than deserved;
needs a good groom.
Construct the word square! (I created it myself; hoping the above is enough info to ...
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7X7(Borrowed words Puzzle)
7X7(Borrowed words Puzzle)
Note : The main purpose of this puzzle is not just for someone to answer it, but I hope someone can also Tell what types of this puzzle is exactly,as you can see i just ...
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Laddergram to start off your day?
I thought I'd try my hand at creating a Laddergram, a format of puzzle I've seen in Dell's Pencil Puzzles and Word Games. The rules here are: on each row, there are three words given by clues. The ...
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Word length for acronyms
Is IDS Center (3, 6) or (1, 1, 1, 6)?
My sense is that (1, 1, 1, 6) would have been preferred last century, but with acronyms increasingly used in everyday life, (3, 6) would now be acceptable.
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Crossword clue from today
A splendid clue from today's "London Times" crossword:
One my Dr's treated? (8)
Bonus point if you know the technical name for this kind of clue!
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BBC's Regular Expression Puzzle
Rather than use traditional hints, each square must be a match of the regular expression associated with the row or column.
Source
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Non-existence — it's isn't and does exist
The middle of a line
stretching for eternity in both sides,
in words
I am.
No thing is not me.
Me exists but does not live.
I and me—we
together is non-existence.
What is we?
...
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