Free solver · No sign-in
Verified examples onlyCryptic crosswords are one of the most rewarding, and frustrating, word puzzles in the world. Unlike standard crosswords, every single clue is a mini-puzzle in itself. There is a hidden logic inside each one, and once you learn to spot it, solving feels like cracking a code.
Wild west goulash (4)
The tool
A cryptic crossword solver helps when you are stuck on a clue and cannot spot the wordplay. These tools work differently from regular crossword solvers: the best ones let you enter a letter pattern and keyword to narrow results.
Crossword Solver
Try a verified example
Answers
Type your clue, then hit Find Answer. Everything runs on your device.
This tool finds matching words and patterns, but it does not read the clue for you. Always cross-check a candidate against both the definition and the wordplay before you write it in.
Everything runs on your device against a bundled English dictionary: no clue you type is ever sent to a server. The tool matches words and patterns; it does not read the clue for you. Confirm an answer only when both the definition and the wordplay agree.
The basics
This guide gives you everything you need: a clear explanation of how cryptic clues work, every major clue type with examples, the best free cryptic crossword solver tools available, and a step-by-step method you can use right now.
A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle where every clue contains two separate parts: a straightforward definition and a wordplay element. Both parts lead to the same answer. Your job is to find the boundary between them.
Two parts, one answer. A definition and a wordplay element sit side by side. Your job is to find the boundary between them.
The surface reading lies. The surface reading of the clue (what it appears to say at first glance) is almost always a red herring. You have to read the clue in a completely different way to unlock the answer.
Clue: Wild west goulash (4)
“Goulash” is the definition: a goulash is a stew. “Wild” is the anagram indicator, telling you to jumble the letters beside it. “West” is the fodder: four letters, matching the (4). Rearranged, W-E-S-T gives STEW.
Anatomy
Every well-formed cryptic clue contains exactly two parts. No more, no less.
Worked example
Vehicle then animal gives floor covering (6)
“Floor covering” is the definition. “Then” is the charade indicator: build the answer by writing one part after another. Vehicle gives CAR, animal gives PET, and CAR + PET = CARPET. “Gives” is a link word joining the wordplay to the definition.
Part 1
This is a straightforward synonym or description of the answer. It always appears at the very start or the very end of the clue, never in the middle. It works exactly like a standard crossword clue.
Part 2
The rest of the clue is an indirect route to the same answer. It uses a specific technique: an anagram, a hidden word, a reversal, and so on. Indicator words inside the clue signal which technique is being used.
Optional
Sometimes a short link word or phrase joins the two parts, words like “gives,” “is,” “from,” or “could be.” This helps the clue read as a natural sentence.
The content core
There are ten main clue types you will encounter in cryptic crosswords. Master these and you can solve almost any clue you face.
Clue: Wild west goulash (4)
“Goulash” is the definition: a goulash is a stew. “Wild” is the anagram indicator, telling you to jumble the letters beside it. “West” is the fodder: four letters, matching the (4). Rearranged, W-E-S-T gives STEW.
Clue: Vehicle then animal gives floor covering (6)
“Floor covering” is the definition. “Then” is the charade indicator: build the answer by writing one part after another. Vehicle gives CAR, animal gives PET, and CAR + PET = CARPET. “Gives” is a link word joining the wordplay to the definition.
Clue: Annual, seen inside the cathedral very early (6)
“Annual” is the definition. “Seen inside” signals a hidden word. Read the rest of the clue as one unbroken run of letters and ignore the spaces: thecathedralver-YEARLY. The answer sits across the break between “very” and “early”.
Clue: Uncovered bear, reportedly (4)
“Uncovered” is the definition. “Reportedly” is the homophone indicator: it tells you the answer sounds like a word in the clue. BEAR and BARE are pronounced identically, and BARE means uncovered. Four letters, matching the (4).
Clue: Beer sent back is splendid (5)
“Splendid” is the definition. “Sent back” is the reversal indicator. “Beer” gives LAGER, and LAGER written backwards is REGAL, which means splendid. Both parts of the clue land on the same five-letter answer.
Clue: Cereal husk holding one, the organ of thought (5)
“The organ of thought” is the definition. “Holding” is the container indicator: one set of letters goes inside another. Cereal husk gives BRAN, and “one” gives I, the Roman numeral. Put I inside BRAN and you get BRA-I-N: BRAIN.
Clue: Dog's cry, tree's outer layer (4)
There is no indicator here, which is the giveaway. The clue is simply two separate definitions of the same word placed side by side. A dog's cry is a BARK, and a tree's outer layer is also BARK. Both meanings are genuine dictionary senses.
Clue: Loaf loses its head, peruse what's left (4)
“Peruse” is the definition. “Loses its head” is the deletion indicator: drop the first letter. Loaf gives BREAD; remove the B and you are left with READ, which means peruse. Four letters, matching the (4).
Clue: Initially, Scientists Help Our Wildlife put on a display (4)
“Display” is the definition. “Initially” tells you to take first letters only. Scientists, Help, Our, Wildlife give S, H, O, W, spelling SHOW, which means a display.
Clue: Spooner's blushing crow, a devastating hit (8,4)
“A devastating hit” is the definition. “Spooner's” tells you to swap the opening sounds of the two words that follow. Swap the BL- and CR- of “blushing crow” and you get “crushing blow”, eight letters then four, matching the (8,4).
| Clue type | Indicator words | How it works | Verified example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anagram | wild, crazy, mixed, broken | Letters are mixed to make a new word | “Wild west goulash (4)” |
| Charade | after, then, before, follows | Two or more word parts are joined together | “Vehicle then animal gives floor covering (6)” |
| Hidden Word | in, within, inside, buried | The answer is hidden inside the clue | “Annual, seen inside the cathedral very early (6)” |
| Homophone | sounds like, we hear, aloud | The answer sounds like another word | “Uncovered bear, reportedly (4)” |
| Reversal | back, returned, reversed | Letters or words are read backwards | “Beer sent back is splendid (5)” |
| Container | holding, around, inside | One word goes inside another word | “Cereal husk holding one, the organ of thought (5)” |
| Double Definition | No special indicator | The clue gives two meanings of the same word | “Dog's cry, tree's outer layer (4)” |
| Deletion | without, missing, losing | Remove letters to get the answer | “Loaf loses its head, peruse what's left (4)” |
| Initialism | initially, first letters | First letters form the answer | “Initially, Scientists Help Our Wildlife put on a display (4)” |
| Spoonerism | Spooner said, reverend would say | Swap starting sounds of words | “Spooner's blushing crow, a devastating hit (8,4)” |
For the same map with the rarer tricks folded in, read the complete guide to all ten cryptic clue types.
Deep dive
Pick a clue type to see its indicator words, the step-by-step method, and two examples that both genuinely check out.
Anagram clues are the most common type in cryptic crosswords and a great starting point for beginners. The clue will contain an indicator word, something that means “mix up” or “change”, alongside the letters you need to rearrange.
Common anagram indicator words
Step-by-step method
Clue: Wild west goulash (4)
“Goulash” is the definition: a goulash is a stew. “Wild” is the anagram indicator, telling you to jumble the letters beside it. “West” is the fodder: four letters, matching the (4). Rearranged, W-E-S-T gives STEW.
Clue: Attend to broken silent (6)
“Attend to” is the definition. “Broken” is the anagram indicator and “silent” is the fodder: six letters, matching the (6). S-I-L-E-N-T rearranges to LISTEN.
Want all nine mechanics laid out end to end with the indicator words, the method and worked examples in one place? Read the complete beginner’s guide to solving cryptic crosswords.
Using the tool
Six moves that turn a solver from a word list into a genuine solving aid.
(7) → 7 letters
_ _ A _ _ _ T
The pattern field
Use a question mark (?) or underscore (_) for unknown letters. For example, if you know the answer is 6 letters and ends in -ER, enter: ????ER. Most solvers accept both formats.
Seven letters, A third, T last
Six letters ending in -ER
Our solver accepts both formats. Type the letters straight into the squares and leave the gaps empty: the tool fills the blanks in for you.
Try the pattern searchThe landscape
Not all crossword solver tools handle cryptic clues equally well. Here is a comparison of the most useful free tools available today.
Fast clue search using letter patterns
Hard clues and advanced solving
Search by letters and keywords
General and cryptic clue search
Learning clue types step by step
Beginner practice with one clue each day
Explanations of cryptic puzzle answers
Daily cryptic puzzles and hints
Large collection of cryptic puzzles
The method
Follow this process for every clue and you will cut your solving time dramatically.
(3,5) → _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
See this method applied clue by clue in the full step-by-step solving guide, with every worked example checked letter by letter.
Course correction
Each of these costs new solvers more time than any single hard clue. All six are avoidable once you know the shape of them.
The mistake
The clue “Flower found in garden” is read as meaning a rose or a tulip.
Do this instead
“Flower” in cryptic crossword language often means something that flows: a river. Never take the surface reading literally.
The mistake
An answer that fits the definition beautifully is written in, even though it is 5 letters and the clue says (4).
Do this instead
The numbers in brackets are exact. If you have (4) but your answer is 5 letters, it is wrong, no matter how well it fits the definition.
The mistake
Beginners often find a word that fits the definition and stop there.
Do this instead
Always verify the wordplay part too. The answer must satisfy both simultaneously.
The mistake
Only the beginning of the clue is checked for the definition, and the solve stalls.
Do this instead
The definition appears at the start OR the end of the clue. Always try both positions.
The mistake
Without knowing what “reportedly” or “back” or “in” signal, the clue type stays invisible.
Do this instead
Building a mental library of indicator words is the single most valuable investment for new solvers.
The mistake
A hard clue is abandoned before any crossing letters have been filled in.
Do this instead
Cryptic crosswords reward persistence. Fill in crossing letters from other answers first: even one or two known letters can make the answer click instantly.
Most of these trace back to not knowing the shape of a clue type on sight. The ten cryptic clue types, explained one at a time, fixes that.
Two traditions
The same mechanics, two different house styles. Knowing which tradition a puzzle comes from tells you how strictly to expect the rules to be applied.
| Feature | British Cryptic | American Cryptic |
|---|---|---|
| Grid Style | More open blocked grids | Often denser blocked grids |
| Clue Rules | Follows strict rules | Rules are usually more flexible |
| Cultural References | UK topics like cricket and politics | US topics and culture |
| Difficulty | Usually harder | Often easier for beginners |
| Famous Publications | The Guardian, The Times, Daily Telegraph | The New Yorker, Harper's, The Nation |
| Puzzle Creator Name | Setters | Constructors |
Cryptic crosswords originated in the UK and remain most popular there and in Commonwealth nations including Australia, Ireland, India, Canada, and New Zealand. In the United States, cryptics appear mainly in specialist publications and saw a surge in popularity following the COVID-19 lockdowns.
For the British tradition in detail, see our guide to the Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword, its Toughie, and the Ximenean rules behind both.
Quick reference
Building a mental library of these is the single most valuable investment a new solver can make. Bookmark this section.
Usually no special word; the clue simply gives two meanings
Charades and containers lean on their own short codes rather than words. The complete cryptic crossword abbreviations reference covers those.
Origins
From plain definitional grids to a fully cryptic craft, in about a century.
Cryptic crosswords originated in the United Kingdom. The first British crossword puzzles appeared around 1923 and were purely definitional.
From the mid-1920s they began to include wordplay elements: anagrams, allusions, and hidden clues.
Edward Powys Mathers, writing as Torquemada for The Observer from 1926, is widely credited as the first setter to use cryptic clues exclusively.
The craft was refined over decades, and today major UK newspapers including The Guardian, The Times, and The Telegraph publish daily cryptic puzzles.
Composer Stephen Sondheim is credited with introducing cryptic crosswords to American audiences in 1968 through a series of puzzles he created for New York magazine.
One newspaper puzzle has almost the whole century to itself: the Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword, running continuously since 1925.
Questions
The things new solvers ask most often about cryptic clues and the tools that help with them.
Cryptic crosswords are complex at first glance, but they operate on a clear set of rules. Every clue has a definition and a wordplay element. Every wordplay type has recognizable indicator words. Once you know the system, what looked like an unsolvable puzzle becomes a satisfying logical challenge.
Use a free cryptic crossword solver for the clues you are stuck on, but always cross-check the candidate answer against both parts of the clue.
The more you practice, the faster the logic becomes second nature, and solving cryptics by feel is one of the most satisfying skills a word puzzle lover can build.
