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Jul 2, 2023 · Whether you’re new to crossword puzzles or you’ve been solving them for years, there are always ways to improve your skills. In this article, we’ll cover everything from basic strategies to advanced techniques that will help you tackle even the most difficult puzzles.
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- Tackle fill-in-the-blanks first. These clues tend to be easier to fill in than others. Rather than starting with the first clue and going in order, scan through all of the clues and look for some easy “gimmes.”
- Fill in 3- and 4-letter words you know. Short words are usually simpler to solve than the longer answers. While some short words might be more challenging, you still have a good chance of finding a few that you can answer.
- Check the tense and number in the clues. The answers in the puzzle will match the tense and number in the clue. Even if you don’t know the exact word for the clue, you can make assumptions based on how the clue is written.
- Look for formatting hints in the clues. Punctuation and add-ons in the clues tell you how the answer is formatted. Since crossword constructors want to give you a challenge, they may try to play a few tricks on you that are easy to catch.
- Fill-in-the-Blank Clues. Fill-in-the-blank (FITB) clues are generally the simplest clues to solve. They are easily spotted in the clue list so go through these first.
- Check the 3-, 4- and 5-Letter Words. Looking at the grid, go over the clues for any 3-, 4- and 5-letter words. There are relatively few acceptable words of this length in the English language and so the same words tend to occur in many puzzles.
- Clues Obey Rules. A clue will always be written in the same part of speech as the answer. Check clues that call for answers ending in S, ED, EST or ING. Often these endings can be penciled in (but not always).
- Guess. Pencil in lightly any guessed answers. (If solving puzzles online, don't be afraid to enter any guessed answers. They're easily erased with the click of a button.)
- Use a pencil. Ever seen a crossword grid with thick pen marks darkening over a wrong letter? Doing a crossword puzzle in pen means you have confidence in always being right.
- Start with Monday puzzles. You can gauge the difficulty of a crossword puzzle by the weekday when it’s published. Traditionally, Monday puzzles are constructed to be easy and breezy, making them a great entry point for new solvers.
- Thursday puzzles are usually themed. Thursday crossword puzzles usually have a theme that asks a lot of the solver. Quigley explains a crossword puzzle theme as “the linking element that combines all the pieces of the puzzle—all the long answers.”
- Pay attention to the format of the clue. One of the best tips for solving crossword puzzles is to consider the format of the clue. What verb tense is it in?
Jan 19, 2021 · If you’re struggling to conquer your latest crossword, then don’t give up. Instead, apply these 7 tips and tricks for solving crossword puzzles, IDEAL for giving your brain a much needed workout during the current downtime. EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Nov 20, 2017 · Here are some tips to help improve your skills. The editor of Connections, our game about finding common threads between words, talks about how she makes this daily puzzle feel fun.
Start by looking up a clue that will help you find other answers. If it ends up being a word you don't know, take a minute and look at other clues that point to it and give your brain a chance to soak in the new knowledge. Improve your crossword puzzle solving skills with these tips and tricks.
