If you have a clue that you simply cannot solve alone, you might need some help with answers to popular clues. Our crossword popular clues database will give you the most likely answers for your crossword puzzles. Get ready to challenge your wit and sharpen your skills!

Crosswords Popular Clues

Q: Which clues should you start with?

Starting with the simplest clues will help you fill your grid. Fill-in-the-blank clues are often the easiest because they use common names and phrases. As you do more puzzles, you will also see that designers reuse popular clues for common connecting words like EAR, ALE, and ERE.

Q: How do you interpret clues?

Clues in a basic crossword puzzle follow rules to help you solve them. For example, the tense of the clue is a hint about the tense of the answer. The answer to a clue like “used to hurry” will be RAN, not RUN. In more advanced puzzles, you'll need to think outside the box, as the puzzle designer may use wordplay or anagrams to increase the challenge.

Q: What are the most uncommon clues?

Crossword puzzles are designed for many different publications. A book of crossword puzzles designed for extended use will use popular clues or evergreen clues that will be relevant for many years. A weekly newspaper crossword or daily puzzle may have references to current events or popular figures. Clues such as these have a limited shelf life, but they make the puzzles more interesting and relevant.

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What are Crossword Puzzles & Popular Clues?

For many people, the first thing they do when they get a newspaper or magazine is turn to the crossword. A crossword puzzle is a specially-designed grid with spaces for vertical and horizontal words. Each open square in the puzzle is the space for a letter. Along with the grid, there is a list of clues that will help you identify the words in the puzzle. Popular clues regularly come up in your favorite crossword puzzles. Their forms and variations can change from puzzle to puzzle, depending on the difficulty level and style.

Types of Crossword Puzzles

Because the crossword puzzle has been around for so long, several variations on the standard format have appeared. Different types of puzzles vary in difficulty and style.

Jumble

The jumble puzzle often has a small crossword element as its first step. By solving the crossword clues, you are given a set of letters that you then unscramble for the final solution.

Cryptic Crossword

This English variation on the standard crossword is far more difficult than a standard crossword. The clues of a cryptic puzzle are more challenging and unclear. For example, this type of puzzle is more likely to use anagrams or other creative wordplays.

Themed Crosswords

This kind of crossword is especially popular in magazines. The crossword clues may include definitions that refer back to content in the periodical and often contain answers to popular clues.

Secret Phrase

In this variation, a large part of the puzzle is taken up by a long, secret phrase. By solving the common clues, you will eventually have enough vowels and consonants to solve the longer riddle.

Popular Crossword Clues

A challenging crossword clue is part of the fun of solving these puzzles, but it may also be why you may need crossword help. If you choose a puzzle at an easy level, you may find that the answers to the clues are obvious and repeated.

In most puzzles, a winning strategy is to read through all the clues. As you solve more puzzles, you'll become familiar with some of the most common clues that come up repeatedly. These are often referred to as “repeaters.” Most of the most common clues are for words that contain a lot of vowels or trivia and tend to be shorter.

For example, the answer to the popular clue “A Japanese belt” is often “OBI,” a fantastic three-letter word ending in a vowel that's frequently used because it's a great connecting word on the grid. Other popular crossword clues include “ditto,” “Japanese farewell,” or “female sheep” - that's EWE to you.

FAQs on Crossword Popular Clues

Which clues should you start with?

How do you interpret clues?

What are the most uncommon clues?