Word Crossy: Cheats for Word Crossy can be found with our crossword-solver tool. Imagine crosswords but with coin collection and competition. Make a first pass in the other direction, usually starting with 1 Down, solving for the most obvious clues first and making sure there aren’t discrepancies. Find some obvious clues, and make sure they fit together when written out. Will Shortz, the famed crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times, begins his career. The next few decades are sometimes referred to by crossword fans as “the Shortz era.”

Famed lyricist Stephen Sondheim (of Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and A Little Night Music) introduces Americans to the British-style cryptic crossword in New York magazine. It can be hard to understand a crossword clue because crossword-writers are absolutely notorious for being cryptic. A good crossword player is typically a master riddle-solver, as one has to really think outside of the box to figure out some of these more difficult hints. Here are a few crossword-solving tips:

The Universal Crossword was first introduced in 1999, and has since become a popular source of entertainment and mental stimulation for crossword enthusiasts of all ages. The puzzle is known for its clever clues and challenging difficulty level, and is updated daily with new and interesting themes. On Dec. 21, 1913, in a Sunday edition of The New York World, the first-ever “word-cross” puzzle appeared. The first-ever cruciverbalist, or person skilled in the creation or solving of crossword puzzles, was a journalist named Arthur Wynne from Liverpool, who’d immigrated to the states. A few weeks after the first word puzzle of its kind appeared, a typesetting error changed the name “word-cross” to “cross-word,” and it’s been called a crossword puzzle since.

Reversals involve reversing the letters of the clue to get the answer. The reverse of “era” is “are,” for example. Master “crosswordese.” Learn some of the most commonly used crossword answers. See if you can fit any of the “crosswordiest” words, or words not found in everyday speech but often used in crosswords, in your puzzle. Washington Post Crossword: Their daily crosswords are free and fun to play. They also have a “Monthly Meta Crossword” that’s themed. WSJ Crossword: The Wall Street Journal’s puzzles are, in their words, “America’s most elegant, adventurous, and addictive crosswords.” They’re frequently themed and can be quite difficult to figure out crossword solutions for.The most important tip is to practice. Max Deutsch took a month to master the Saturday New York Times crossword, and it required consistent practice, about 46 hours in total. He used a lot of memorization with letter training, memorizing crossword answers and clue pairings and completing a sizable number of puzzles. Practice is a huge piece of the puzzle but not the only piece, as harder puzzles like cryptic crosswords require divergent and flexible thinking. Containers imply that you’ll need to insert a word inside of another word, usually indicated in the clue by words like “within” or “surrounding.” Consider abbreviations carefully. If a clue is abbreviated, the answer will likely be, too. Memorize popular abbreviations, including names of events like WWI, military abbreviations like NCO, and titles like Mr. and Ms. Also memorize common suffixes, as they’re quite popular among crossword writers. Wordscapes: Another app that’s not completely simple crosswords but more of a mix, Wordscapes is a lot of fun and great for people who aren’t great spellers. One Clue Crossword: Answers can be difficult to figure out when you only get one clue, which is typically a picture.

Want to become the ultimate crossword puzzle-solver? Let us help you find answers to crossword puzzles with our online crossword-solver, whether you have a word on the tip of your tongue or just need one clue. Crossword puzzle answers for today can be found easily, so you don’t have to wait for the next day’s newspaper or cheat on an app to find out the solutions. Use this crossword helper to enter crossword clues, search for specific words by the number of letters, or read our guide to learn new, different strategies for solving your daily crossword. Help is finally here in our ultimate guide to crossword puzzle-solving!For the love of your sanity, use a pencil. If you’re using physical paper instead of an online crossword app, use a pencil and eraser. Mistakes, misinterpretations, and confusion are likely to arise, even if you’re a seasoned pro. Make a first pass in one direction, usually starting with 1 Across, and solve the most obvious clues first. For instance, solve for fill-in-the-blank questions first, as they tend to be more obvious than others. One of the unique features of the Universal Crossword is its use of a standardized grid size, which makes it easy for solvers to switch between different crossword puzzles without having to adjust to a new grid layout. The puzzle is also known for its inclusion of a wide range of topics, from pop culture and current events to science and history.