A crossword is a grid of intersecting Across and Down answers. Every answer is paired with a clue, while letters from crossing answers provide extra information when the clue alone is not enough.
How to solve a stubborn clue
Record the answer length and crossing letters as a pattern, such as C?O?S for a five-letter word. Then identify what kind of answer the clue needs: a noun, verb, name, abbreviation, or perhaps a plural.
Try synonyms for the most likely definition, paying attention to tense and number. For a cryptic clue, look for indicators of anagrams, hidden words, reversals, containers, and deletions, remembering that the definition is normally at one end. If nothing fits, solve another crossing clue: one reliable extra letter often removes dozens of possibilities.
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