Crossword · Rules guide
How crosswords work: rules and clue types
Across and Down, the number in brackets, and the crossing letters that make the whole thing work — plus the difference between quick, American-style and cryptic puzzles.
The short answer
- Answers run Across and Down from numbered squares; the bracketed number is the answer length.
- Crossing letters belong to two answers at once — solving one clue always helps several others.
- Quick clues are straight definitions; cryptic clues contain a definition plus wordplay.
- Standard grids are symmetrical under a 180° rotation and fully connected.
- Check marks wrong letters; reveal tools leave a mark so you can see what you solved yourself.
How a crossword works
A crossword is a grid of white and black squares with a numbered clue for every answer. Fill the white squares so that each answer matches its clue — and because answers cross, every letter you get right hands you part of another answer.
- Across and Down clues are numbered from the square where each answer starts.
- The number in brackets after a clue is the answer's length: (7) means seven letters.
- Crossing letters are the point of the whole thing. In a standard grid roughly half the letters belong to two answers at once.
The kinds of clue you will meet
Crosswords come in families, and they are genuinely different puzzles wearing the same grid.
| Type | What a clue looks like | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Quick / definition | A straight synonym: "Large body of water (5)" | Most newspapers, most apps |
| American-style | Definitions plus wordplay, trivia and puns; every letter crossed | US dailies |
| Cryptic | Two routes to the answer: a definition and a piece of wordplay | Britain, Ireland, Australia, India |
| Themed | Several long answers share a hidden idea | Common in both traditions |
| Barred / advanced cryptic | No black squares — bars between answers, and obscure vocabulary | Specialist puzzles |
The grid conventions
A well-made grid follows rules that are worth knowing, because they tell you what to expect:
- Symmetry. The pattern of black squares looks the same rotated 180° — "the same upside down".
- Connectivity. Every white square is reachable; no part of the grid is stranded.
- No unchecked runs. Good grids avoid long stretches of letters that belong to only one answer.
- Minimum length. Answers are usually at least three letters.
Checking, revealing and racing
Modern crosswords give you tools that paper never did, and using them well is a skill of its own.
- Check marks the letters that are wrong — useful when you are sure of an answer and something downstream will not fit.
- Letter gives you the single square you are on; Word gives the whole answer. Both leave a mark behind, so afterwards you can see exactly how much you worked out yourself.
- Race a friend sends a link: you both get the same puzzle and can watch each other fill it in.
Keys worth knowing
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| A–Z | Write a letter |
| Backspace | Rub out |
| Arrow keys | Move around the grid |
| Tab | Jump to the next clue |
| Click the same square twice | Switch between Across and Down |
| Alt + C / L / W | Check, reveal letter, reveal word |
| Alt + N | A completely new puzzle |
Common questions
What does the number in brackets mean?
The length of the answer. "(7)" means seven letters; "(3,4)" means two words of three and four letters; "(7, hyphenated)" tells you where the hyphen goes.
What is the difference between a quick and a cryptic crossword?
A quick clue is a straight definition or synonym. A cryptic clue contains two routes to the same answer — a definition at one end and wordplay covering the rest.
Why are crossword grids symmetrical?
Convention, and a useful one: the black-square pattern looks the same rotated 180°. It keeps grids balanced and makes badly connected grids obvious at a glance.
Should I use the check button?
It is the least damaging tool: it tells you a letter is wrong without telling you what is right. Reveal a letter or a word only when you have genuinely stalled.
Is it cheating to look things up?
Not in the British tradition, where reference books have always been part of solving. The only question is what you want from the puzzle — speed, or the pleasure of getting there unaided.
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