Good crossword clues are short, fair, and match the answer exactly in tense, number, and part of speech. Difficulty comes from how directly the clue points at the answer: a Monday clue is a plain definition, while a Saturday clue uses misdirection and wordplay. This guide covers the main clue types, a worked difficulty ladder using original clues, and the rules that keep clues fair.
What are the main types of crossword clues?
| Clue type | What it does | Example (answer in caps) |
|---|---|---|
| Straight definition | Defines the answer directly | "Large body of salt water" for OCEAN |
| Synonym | Gives a word of similar meaning | "Speedy" for FAST |
| Fill-in-the-blank | Answer completes a phrase | "Hot ___ (relaxing soak spot)" for SPRING |
| Trivia / proper noun | Asks for a fact, name, or place | "Capital of Peru" for LIMA |
| Question-mark (wordplay) | Puns or reinterprets the answer | "Place to see stars?" for OBSERVATORY |
| Abbreviation clue | Signals an abbreviation in the clue | "Corp. head" for CEO |
| Foreign-language clue | Signals a translation | "Friend in Paris" for AMI |
| Cross-reference | Points to another clue in the grid | "See 17-Across" |
| Theme clue | Explains or sets up the theme trick | Often a pun or a "?" |
Most puzzles are a mix. A good clue set varies the types so solvers do not get five fill-in-the-blanks in a row.
How do crossword clue difficulty levels work?
In the New York Times style, difficulty rises across the week: Monday is easiest and Saturday is hardest, with the larger Sunday puzzle typically pitched around mid-week difficulty (check each outlet's own scale). Other outlets use their own scales. The answers get harder somewhat, but most of the difficulty comes from the clues. The same word can be clued at every level.
One answer, six difficulty levels
Take the answer SPRING. All of these are original clues:
| Level | Clue | What makes it that level |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | "Season after winter" | Plain, direct definition |
| Tuesday | "Season for baseball's opening day" | Still direct, adds a small fact |
| Wednesday | "Coiled part of a pogo stick" | Different meaning of the word, still literal |
| Thursday | "Leap" | Short and ambiguous: needs crossings |
| Friday | "Trigger, as a trap" | Another sense of the word, in verb form |
| Saturday | "Source of a soak, perhaps" | Vague on purpose; the solver needs crossings to confirm it |
The pattern: as the day gets later, clues get shorter, pick less common senses of the word, and give the solver less to hold onto. A Monday solver should be able to answer from the clue alone. A Saturday solver expects to use crossings.
A second ladder: ALOE
| Level | Clue |
|---|---|
| Monday | "Plant whose gel soothes sunburn" |
| Wednesday | "Succulent in many lotions" |
| Friday | "Soother in a bottle, maybe" |
| Saturday | "Gel source" |
Keep one rule in mind: a Saturday clue can be vague, but the solver must still be able to confirm the answer from the clue plus a few crossings. If not, make it more specific rather than more cryptic.
How do you write a good question-mark clue?
A question mark signals that the clue is playing with the meaning: the answer fits the clue only if you read it a different way. Rules that make them land:
- The literal answer must still be right. "Place to see stars?" works for OBSERVATORY because it really is a place to see stars. If the surface reading and the answer do not both hold, it is a bad pun.
- One question mark per clue, one idea per clue. Do not stack two puns.
- Do not use the question mark as a crutch. If a straightforward clue is clean, use it. Heavy use of "?" makes the whole puzzle feel like a theme.
- Reserve them for theme entries and a few standouts in the fill.
- Test the reaction. If you need to explain why it works, rework it.
How do abbreviations, tense, and part of speech work in clues?
The clue and the answer must match. This is the most basic fairness rule, and the one beginners most often break.
- Abbreviation in the clue means abbreviation in the answer. "Corp. head" fits CEO. Spelled-out words in the clue point to spelled-out answers.
- Tense must match. A past-tense clue needs a past-tense answer: "Ran quickly" for SPED, not SPEED.
- Number must match. A plural clue needs a plural answer: "Lions, e.g." for CATS. If the answer ends in S because it is plural, the clue is plural too.
- Part of speech must match. "Quickly" is an adverb, so the answer should be an adverb. "Quick" is an adjective.
- Foreign-language answers need a foreign-language signal. "Friend in Paris," "Yes, in Madrid," or "Sea, to Sartre." The clue should name the language or place.
- Proper nouns need proper-noun clues. Capitalize and specify.
- Match the register. A slangy answer gets a slangy clue.
How do you keep crossword clues fair?
Fair means the solver can, in principle, reach the answer from the clue and the crossing letters. Some practical checks:
- No unsolvable crossings. If two obscure clues cross, you have a Natick. Make one of the crossings gettable.
- No unknowable trivia. A fact is fair if a reasonably well-read solver might know it, or can infer it.
- No second right answer. If two valid answers fit the clue and the crossings allow both, add a qualifier.
- Be accurate. Check every fact. A wrong clue is worse than a bad one.
- Do not give away the theme early. Save the reveal for the theme clues.
- Keep clues short. If it takes two lines, trim it.
How do you avoid duplicate clues and repeated words?
- Do not use the answer (or its root) in its own clue. A clue for SPRING should not contain "spring."
- Do not repeat key words across clues. If "bank" appears in two clues, one usually needs a rewrite. Solvers notice repeats.
- Do not repeat answers. Two identical entries in one grid are a flaw (glossary: dupe).
- Vary your angles. If a word like OREO or ERIE shows up often in your puzzles, find a new clue each time.
- Do not reuse a theme-entry word in non-theme clues. It muddies the trick.
How do you write clues in Gridsmith?
Gridsmith has a clue editor beside the grid, so you can write each clue while looking at its crossings. Clues are tied to their answers, not their numbers, so if you move a block and the numbering changes, your clues stay with the right answers. Fill the grid first (crossword fill tips), then clue; clue difficulty is easier to tune once you can see which entries are hard to cross. Open the editor to try it.
For themed puzzles, clue the theme entries first and make them the best clues in the puzzle (crossword theme ideas).
A short clue-editing checklist
- Does the clue match the answer in tense, number, abbreviation, and part of speech?
- Is it the right difficulty for the day?
- Could a second answer fit?
- Is every fact correct?
- Are any words repeated from other clues or from the answer?
- Can it be shorter?
Frequently asked questions
How long should a crossword clue be?
As short as it can be while staying unambiguous. Most clues are a few words. Longer clues are fine for theme entries and trivia, but trim anything that does not help the solver.
What does a question mark at the end of a crossword clue mean?
It signals wordplay: the clue should be read non-literally, and the answer fits a pun or alternate reading. The literal reading must still be correct.
Should hard clues be hard because of the words or the wording?
Mostly the wording. A hard puzzle usually uses clues that point at a less obvious meaning of a common word, rather than rare answers that few solvers know.
Do I need to clue the whole grid before I submit a puzzle?
Yes. A submission includes the grid and a clue for every entry. See the NYT submission guide for what editors expect and verify current terms on the outlet's page.