Crossword Tips: 15 Ways to Solve Faster and Get Unstuck
The best crossword tips are to start with the fill-in-the-blank clues, pencil in endings you can be sure of (an S for a plural clue, -ED for a past tense), work outward from every answer through its crossing words, and move on quickly when stuck instead of staring at one clue. A daily mini crossword is the fastest way to get better: a few minutes a day builds the vocabulary of crosswords.
Where to start
- Fill-in-the-blank clues first. "Piece of ___" (CAKE) is usually the easiest clue in the grid.
- Short answers next. Three- and four-letter words have few options and give you letters for the long ones.
- Read every clue once before you get stuck on any. Something in the bottom corner may be obvious.
- Build out from what you have. Every new answer gives letters to the words that cross it.
Signals in the clue
- Plural clue, plural answer: "Trees" ends in S (OAKS, ELMS).
- Tense matches: "Ran" in the past tense means the answer is too (SPED, not SPEED).
- Abbreviations: "Abbr." or a short form in the clue ("Doc's org.") means a short-form answer (AMA).
- Question mark: wordplay ahead. "Bark up the wrong tree?" might be about a dog.
- Foreign words: "in Paris" or "amigo" means the answer is in that language too ("Friend, in Paris" = AMI).
How to get unstuck
- Leave it and come back. Your brain keeps working on it; most stuck clues fall on a second look.
- Try a different part of speech. "Present" can be a gift, now or to show.
- Say the clue out loud. It helps you hear puns and double meanings.
- Guess a letter you're sure of (often the last one) and see if a crossing word clicks.
- Use Check before Reveal. Finding one wrong letter is better than being given the whole answer.
Mini crossword tips
- Every square is checked: each letter belongs to an across and a down word, so one answer always helps another.
- Speed comes from not stopping. Jump to the next clue the moment you hesitate.
- Type straight across a row once you're fairly sure: the crossing words will confirm it.
- Look at the shape. In a 5 × 5 mini, answers near the corners often end in E, S, D or Y.
How to get better at crosswords
Do one small puzzle every day. Crosswords reuse the same handy words again and again (ERA, ORE, ALOE, OREO, EPEE), and a daily habit teaches them fast. Read the answers to the clues you missed: next week they'll come straight to mind. Our step-by-step crossword guide lists the short answers every solver learns.
The GameLake daily crossword is a new puzzle every day, the same for everyone. Check marks wrong letters, Reveal fills one in (three per puzzle), and fewer reveals and a quicker time earn more stars.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get better at crosswords?
Solve a small puzzle every day, start with fill-in-the-blank clues, learn the short words crosswords reuse (like ERA, ORE and ALOE), and read the answers to clues you missed.
What should you do first in a crossword?
Read through the clues and fill in the fill-in-the-blank ones and short answers. Then work outward from those letters through the crossing words.
What does a question mark mean in a crossword clue?
Wordplay: the clue isn't meant literally. Think of puns, double meanings and sayings.
Is it cheating to look up crossword answers?
It's your puzzle. Looking things up teaches you new words, but try Check first, which only marks wrong letters, to keep more of the fun.
How long should a mini crossword take?
Beginners often take 3 to 5 minutes; regular solvers finish a 5 × 5 mini in about a minute.