Crossword Clue Solver
One confident answer with reasoning, not a list of thirty
Type the clue and use ? for unknown letters — e.g. ???? for four letters, or S??? if you know the first letter. You can also type a digit like 4 to auto-fill the pattern. Unlike solvers that return a raw list, this gives you one best answer with an explanation of the wordplay.
About Crossword Solving
Crossword clues come in two flavors: straightforward definitions ("Capital of France") and wordplay clues that use puns, anagrams, homophones, or hidden words to mislead you in the best way possible. The NYT crossword leans heavily on wordplay, especially later in the week.
Objective: Fill every square correctly. Use crossing letters to confirm answers — an answer that fits both the clue and its crossing letters is almost certainly right.
Enter the pattern if you have crossing letters. Even one or two known letters narrows the answer dramatically. Use ? for unknowns — e.g. S??T for a 4-letter word starting with S.
Read the clue part of speech carefully. Crossword answers match the clue's part of speech. A clue ending in -ing usually has an -ing answer. Plural clues get plural answers.
Watch for wordplay signals. Words like 'perhaps', 'say', 'sounds like', or 'in a way' signal wordplay. Quotes around part of the clue often mean a homophone or double meaning.
The solver explains the wordplay. Don't just take the answer — read the explanation. Understanding why an answer works helps you spot similar patterns in future puzzles.