How to Solve Crosswords for Beginners

Start with the gimmes

Read every clue once and answer only the ones you are sure of. Fill-in-the-blank clues and short common words are the easiest way in. You do not need to work top to bottom. Every answer you place drops letters into the words that cross it.

Let crossing letters do the work

Once a few answers are in, look at the entries they cross. A clue you could not solve alone often becomes obvious when you already have two or three of its letters. This back and forth between across and down is the heart of crossword solving.

Read the clue carefully

• The tense and number of the clue match the answer, so a plural clue wants a plural answer.
• A question mark usually signals a pun or wordplay rather than a straight definition.
• Abbreviated clues want abbreviated answers.
• If a clue could be a noun or a verb, try both meanings.

Do not be afraid to guess and erase

Pencil in a likely answer even if you are not certain. If a crossing word later disagrees, you have learned something and you erase. Crosswords reward persistence, and every puzzle you finish makes the next one easier.