Decipher confusing cryptic clues of online crossword with best tricks

by Carol Lee
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An online crossword is almost everyone’s favorite game. It is believed that crossword are best mind games that combat boredom. 

Indeed.

No matter whether you are traveling, attending a social event or staying at home, make it a habit to reboot your mind with a great puzzling session. 

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Crossword games are popular in almost every country and are published majorly in the English language.

The constructors focus on creating theme-based crosswords related to celebrity names, trivia, places and much more.

The popularity of the game has grown because of the linguistic workout that makes your brain sharper.

Moreover, being published in the English language, where one word can have more than one meaning, it becomes a challenge.

The solver has to identify the exact word that fits in the grid. 

Well, when ambiguities become a part of the crossword, solving becomes fun!

Today, these mind teaser games online free have moved a step ahead and the publications have started posting the puzzles online. 

Although there are a variety of crossword puzzles available online, but cryptic crosswords are considered to be the toughest.

Tip: A decent cryptic puzzle has some easy clues which are strategically placed to get things going and then the harder clues yield eventually. The crossword constructor makes it difficult for the solver to solve the grid. But he makes sure the solver ultimately completes and win. 

Make it a habit to play daily online puzzle to enhance your word power. 

Here are the tricks to solve the confusing cryptic crosswords clues:

1. Double definitions

These types of clues give different meanings of the answer.

Clue: Alarming disclosure of beauty (9 letter word)

Answer: BOMBSHELL (As they say on that bombshell and blonde bombshell)

2. Cryptic definition

The answer is described in a misleading way

Clue: They lead the way in the current transport system (8 letter word)

Answer: REINDEER (It depicts a noun rather than an adjective)

Finding it difficult to crack the clues? You will become a pro if you regularly try free word search puzzle games.

3. Anagram

The first half of the clue gives the definition of the answer and the other half jumbles the letters in the answer, plus sometimes a hint.

Clue: Collection of documents found to be dodgy i.e. dross (7 letter word)

Answer: DOSSIER (It is an anagram of i.e dross)

4. Hidden

The definition having words where the answer is concealed or hidden and indicated by something like among, ‘amid’ or ‘in’

Clue: In Scandinavia grandpa discovered potent drug (6 letter word)

Answer: VIAGRA (Hidden in Scandinavia grandpa as it is a jumbled word)

5. Reversal

Reversal is another common word in best new puzzle games.

The word when spelled forward and backward gives the same answer.

Clue: Statement by a filmed divorcee, retracted  (6 letter word)

Answer: REMARK (Kramer when reversed)

6. Acrostic

A hint to take the first few letters from some other words for the answer.  

Clue: Does he lead prayer for openers? Is Mohammed a Muslim? (4 letter word)

Answer: IMAM (First letters of Is Mohammed a Muslim)

7. Soundalike

With the definition and a hint that you observe, take care of another word that sounds like. This can be done by saying it aloud once or twice.

Clue: Bond’s said to be Asian  (4 letter word)

Answer: THAI (It sounds like tie)

Here are a few of the tricky clues:

8. Double definition

Clue: Potty train (4 letter word)

Answer: LOCO

9. Another cryptic definition

Clue: Amundsen’s forwarding address (4 letter word)

Answer: MUSH

10. Combining two words together

Clue: Two girls, one on each knee (7 letter word)

Answer: PATELLA (‘Pat’ and ‘Ella’)

Now, we will be switching over to short clues that are 2-3 words. Short clues make cracking the answer even more difficult.

11. Clue: Sweet stall (5 letter word)

Hint: When you find this type of clue where there are only two clues, it is most likely to be a double-definition recipe. Look for the synonyms of the answer in the clue.

In this case, the stall is most likely to be a noun, a booth or a verb when you lag.

The word sweet may have synonym and the five-letter word can be ‘fudge’.

Answer: FUDGE

12. Clue: Rude Shopkeeper (6 letter word)

It looks like this clue is asking for a homophone. A homophone is defined as the word that sounds similar to another word.

Think about a synonym of the shopkeeper that sounds like a synonym ruder.

Aah. Got the answer? Grosser sounds like Grocer

Answer: GROCER

13. Clue: Wave cereal bowl (8 letter word)

Did you notice there are no signposts or indicators? This may be a charade recipe in this case.

Break down the clue into small fragments.

Combine ‘bran’ i.e. cereal and ‘dish’ i.e. bowl, a word is that has the meaning wave-Brandish

Answer: BRANDISH

14. Clue: Terrain ruined coach (7 letter word)

The word ruin means devastation or rearrangement and it is an anagram. The second clue word terrain when rearranged means coach which is also called a trainer.

Answer: TRAINER

15. Clue: Boat in waters going west (5 letter word)

This one is interesting, isn’t it? Going west clearly depicts that it is a reversal clue.

Synonym of waters is pooled which when reversed gives you sloop which is a type of a boat.

Answer: SLOOP

Tip: When an across clue says going west or going left, it means starting from right to left. Similarly, when a down clue says going up or rising, it means starting from the bottom and moving upwards.

Well, that’s all regarding the tricky clue list!

A cryptic crossword is searched puzzle games challenging your brain with each unsolved clue.

They imbibe wordplay and this is something every solver wants. 

The cryptic curious individuals love free online puzzle adventure games and are aware of the fact that puzzles will demand anagrams and acrostics but maybe despair as they don’t know how to solve them.

There are very few conventions that are easily picked up. The best thing to do is to start with an easy cryptic crossword.

The daily community puzzles online is worth solving with a friend as well.

Did you like challenging your mind via these tricky clues?

Are you all set to try cryptic crossword free brain games?

If yes, don’t wait for anything and dive into the world of interesting words to play the game and earn real cash.

Challenge your brain today with the most popular puzzle games! Keep Puzzling!

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