How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords

Basically, a cryptic clue consists of two elements: a definition of the answer (the so-called straight part), and a wordplay element that elliptically suggests the same answer (the cryptic portion). The magic happens, of course, where the two meet: “DISC,” considered as “IS” inside “DC,” can be clued as “Record is set in Washington”—“record” being another word for “disc,” and the word “is” being literally “set” within Washington (that is, metonymically, D.C.).

Anagram

Anagram clues are commonly indicated with words connoting violence (“ruined,” “destroyed”), altered states (“loony,” “drunk,” “nuts”), or reconfiguration (“in a new way,” “redesigned,” “novel,” “fresh”).

Hidden Word

In hidden-word clues, the answer is a sequence of letters inside the clue. Indicators might be “includes,” “entertains,” or simply “has.”

Homophone

Common indicators for homophony are words relating to sound or speech: “heard,” “to an audience,” “said,” and the like. Remember that the straight part is always at the beginning or end of the clue.

Double Definition

Instead of a straight part and a cryptic part, double definition clues have, essentially, two straight parts: two different definitions of the same answer word. (These clues are never combined with other wordplay.)

Assemblage

Also called “charade” clues, assemblages work by breaking the answer into chunks and cluing each segment individually. These often don’t have an indicator word.

Deletion

A deletion clue is what it sounds like: a prompt to remove the start or end of a word. Indicators include “headless,” “first off,” “half,” and “endlessly” or “without end.”

Reversal

Reversals are a common component of assemblage clues, but they can also be used on their own. Signposts include “turned back,” “in reverse,” or “going up” (for words reading downward in the grid).

Container

Container clues prompt you to insert one word inside another. They are often telegraphed by “within” or “going into” (referring to the inserted word), or by “surrounding” or “wrapping” (referring to the container word).

Bits and Pieces

If a clue contains a commonly abbreviated word, it might be a bits-and-pieces clue, prompting you to swap in the shorter form: “SD” for “South Dakota” (as in the previous example), “S” for “small,” “U” for “University” or “unsatisfactory,” “W” for “tungsten,” etc. This type of clue might also entail selecting the first letters from a series of words: e.g., “starts of many a yearly month (3)” could be MAY (Many A Yearly).

Multiple

Often, a cryptic clue will have more than one type of wordplay: using a reversal as part of an assemblage, or an anagram in a container. Those can be the trickiest of all, so keep an eye out for indicator words.

One Last Tip

Start by trying to identify the portion of the clue most likely to be the straight part. For instance, in the previous clue, the answer is likely to be a synonym for either “entranced” (since “entranced rodent” isn’t a thing) or “piece of popcorn.” There’s really only one synonym for the latter—“kernel”—but there are many for the former. So it’s a good guess that you’re hunting for a word that means “entranced.”

Hints and answers:

• Anagram: “Crazy” suggests anagram, but of “honestly” or “in secret” (both are 8 letters long)? Trying both finds “on the sly” from “honestly.”
• Hidden word: “Concealed by” suggests hidden word in “city police,” so “error” is the straight part, and “typo” is the solution.
• Homophone: “Heard” suggests homophone between “stringed instrument” and “untruthful person.” The solution is “lyre,” for which “liar” is heard.
• Double definition: No obvious cryptic device and two possible distinct parts, suggests double definition: “wear out” and “an important part of a car.” The solution is “tire.”
• Assemblage: Again, there is no obvious cryptic device, so either “put down” or “animals” is the straight part; but the plural of “animals” suggests that it does not complete the formation of “put down,” whereas “prosecutor’s” suggests a fit for “animals.” So “animals” is the straight part and the solution is formed from “put down” and “prosecutor’s.” The answer is “pandas” (PAN+DAS).
• Deletion: “75% niceness” suggests deletion, i.e., the solution may be represented by 6 of the 8 letters (75%) of “niceness.” “Creed of Christianity”: “Nicene.”
• Reversal: “Returned” suggests reversal, of “beer” for the straight part “of kings.” The solution is “regal,” a reversal of “lager.”
• Container: “In” suggests container, i.e., that the solution is formed by “horse” inside “South Dakota,” or rather “SD,” and the straight part is “covered with spangles.” So you need to think of a 6-letter word for “horse” that would work, such as “equine.” The solution is “sequined.”
• Bits and pieces: “Débuts” suggests the initial letters are to be used, particularly as the solution is 3 letters and “House of Pain” is 3 words: “hop.”
• Multiple: “Holding“ suggests container, and “piece of” suggests bits and pieces, leaving “entrances” as the straight part. The solution is “rapt” (RA(P)T).