Crossword clues
A clue names one entry. The crossing word has to agree with every letter, which is how you test a guess.
Straight definitions
Most clues define the answer in plain language. On the Harbor mini, "Not good" is a three-letter across entry, "Currency" is a five-letter across entry, and "Large bird of prey" crosses them. You do not need the newspaper's clue list to practice that pattern. Open Harbor and the lengths are visible in the grid.
When two clues want the same square, they must want the same letter. If "Currency" starts with M, the down word through that square also starts with M. That is the whole check. A solver who stares at one clue is using half the puzzle.
And, blanks, and question marks
The word and inside a clue often means the answer is a pair. "Palm and fingers" wants HAND, not a sentence about anatomy. "Coins and bills" wants CASH. The order in the clue usually matches the order in the answer. If the clue says "and" near the start, look for a short word that could stand alone: AND itself is clued on this site as "Plus, in a clue."
A blank in a clue means the answer completes a phrase. You are filling the missing piece, not defining a single noun. A question mark means the clue is playful or literal rather than a dictionary definition. An abbreviation in the clue, or a clue that ends with a period in some newspaper styles, often wants a short form in the grid.
How a clue list is organized
Across clues are listed first, then Down. The number is the square where the word starts. The same number can appear twice, once in each list, when that square starts both an across word and a down word. Harbor's first numbered square does that: one across entry and one down entry share the number and then go different directions.
On the play page, choosing a clue moves the cursor to the first empty square in that entry and sets the direction. Space, or a second click on the selected square, flips between across and down. Tab moves to the next clue in the current direction.
What this site will not print
Clues from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal are part of those puzzles. This page uses examples written for Folio's word list. If you want a paper's clue, open that paper. If you want the pattern, the solving guide and the archive are enough to practice.
Clue questions
What is a crossword clue?
A crossword clue is a short prompt for one entry. The number matches a numbered square, and Across or Down tells you which way the word runs.
What does and mean in a crossword clue?
And often joins two parts the answer must cover in order. 'Palm and fingers' points to HAND. The word and is also a legal crossword entry on its own, meaning plus.
How long is the answer?
Count the white squares from the number to the next black square or the edge of the grid. That count is the length of the answer.