Crossword Clues Explained for Beginners
How straightforward crossword clues work, why crossing letters are your best friend, and how to finish your first mini crossword.
Definition clues: what you see is what you get
Our mini crossword uses straightforward definition clues: the clue simply describes the answer. 'Teapot's partner' is SAUCER; 'It rises in the east' is SUN. There are no cryptic tricks, no anagrams, and no wordplay to decode — if the clue seems simple, that's because it is.
Crossing letters do half the work
The real secret of crosswords is that you never solve a clue alone. Every answer shares letters with the words crossing it. Can't get 5 Across? Fill in the Down clues around it, and suddenly you're looking at S_O_E instead of five blanks — and the answer walks up to meet you.
This is why the professionals' advice is simply: start anywhere you're sure, and let the letters spread.
A little routine for the mini
- Read every clue once before writing anything — one or two will be gifts
- Write your certain answers first, however few
- Return to the stubborn clues with their crossing letters filled in
- Still stuck? 'Check my progress' will quietly confirm what's right so far
Why minis are the friendliest crosswords
A full newspaper crossword can take an hour; our five-by-five mini takes minutes and always ends in the satisfaction of a finished grid. It's the same pleasure, served in a teacup rather than a tureen.