How to play Crossword

A crossword is a grid of white and black squares in which every run of white squares is a word, and every word has a clue. Fill in the answers and the letters they share will confirm, or correct, each other. Each puzzle here is generated fresh from our word database, so you never get the same grid twice.

The rules

1. Every numbered white run, read left to right (Across) or top to bottom (Down), is one answer. The number in the first square links it to its clue.
2. The number in brackets after a clue is the length of the answer, for example (5) for a five-letter word.
3. Where an Across and a Down answer cross, they share the same letter, so both must fit.
4. Answers are written in plain letters A to Z. Accents and special characters are simplified, so a German Ü becomes UE, ß becomes SS, and French or Spanish accents are dropped.
5. The puzzle is solved when every white square holds the correct letter. The status line tells you as soon as that happens.

Getting started

When a new puzzle loads, the cursor is already on the first Across answer and that whole word is highlighted. You can type straight away: each letter moves the cursor one square along. Click a square to jump to it, and click the same square again (or press Space or Tab) to switch between Across and Down. Arrow keys move around the grid, and clicking a clue jumps to its answer.

Do not start with clue 1 just because it is first. Look for a short clue with an obvious answer, such as "Frozen water (3)". Say that is 7 Down, starting at row 1, column 5. Type ICE and you now know the first letter of whichever Across answer starts at row 1, column 5, and the letters in rows 2 and 3 of that column as well. Go to those crossing clues next. With a letter already in place, "Daytime star (3)" with an S in front is far easier than a blank.

Strategies and tips

• Harvest the easy ones first. A quick pass filling only what you are sure of gives you anchor letters all over the grid.
• Trust the length. The number in brackets rules out a lot. If you think of "sofa" but the clue says (5), try "couch".
• Match the grammar. A plural clue usually wants a plural answer; a clue in the past tense wants a verb in the past tense. The form of the clue is a strong hint to the form of the answer.
• Work the crossings. When stuck, switch direction. Two or three crossing letters in a long word often make it jump out, especially letters near the start.
• Think about letter patterns. Many grids here are dense, so roughly every other letter is checked by a crossing word. If you have _A_E, list common words that fit rather than staring at the clue.
• Pencil in, then confirm. It is fine to type a guess. Use "Check my answers" from the Hint menu to see how many letters are wrong without revealing which ones, then hunt for the error yourself.
• Use hints sparingly. "Reveal a letter" fills one letter in the current word, which is often enough to unlock it; "Reveal current word" is a bigger step.

How the difficulty adapts

The crossword does not change difficulty on its own; you choose it. Easy builds an 11×11 grid, Medium a 13×13 grid and Hard a 15×15 grid. Larger grids hold more answers and allow longer words, up to the full width of the grid, so Hard asks you to keep many more crossings in your head.

A good habit is to move up a level once a size feels comfortable. The brain seems to benefit most when the challenge keeps rising with your skill, so a puzzle that is always slightly hard is better training than one you solve on autopilot. If you are curious, read what research says about puzzles and brain health.

A short history of Crossword

The crossword as we know it is usually credited to Arthur Wynne, a journalist who published a diamond-shaped "word-cross" puzzle in the New York World in December 1913. In the 1920s the first books of crosswords became bestsellers and the puzzle turned into a genuine craze in the United States and Britain. Over time two broad styles developed: the American style, with very dense grids where almost every letter is crossed, and the British style, with a lattice of black squares in which about half of the letters are checked. Many of the grids on this page follow that British pattern.

Frequently asked questions