The Crossword Blog

Solving tips, cryptic clue guides, crossword history and tournament news.

Strategy

How to Solve Crosswords Faster: A Practical Guide

Stop solving in clue order. Start from the answers you're sure of and work outward through the crossings, read clues for grammatical hints, skip stubborn clues early, and build speed with a simple four-week practice plan.

The Crossword Team · · 10 min read
Read article
Strategy

Pen vs. Pencil: Which Should You Use for Crosswords?

The real trade-offs between solving in ink and in graphite, what tournament solvers actually bring (mostly pencils), and a simple two-stage system that uses both.

Strategy · 5 min
Cryptic

Cryptic Clues Decoded: All 9 Types with Examples

What a cryptic crossword is, how every clue splits into definition and wordplay, and the nine main clue types with worked examples. Also covers indicator words, common abbreviations and what question marks mean.

Cryptic · 15 min
Strategy

Speed Solving Crosswords: 7 Techniques Competitive Solvers Use

The fastest solvers aren't thinking faster, they're wasting less time. Seven techniques, from scanning before you write to handling errors deliberately, plus how ACPT scoring rewards speed and accuracy.

Advanced · 11 min
Construction

How Crossword Constructors Work, in Their Own Words

How does a crossword go from blank grid to published puzzle? A sourced guide to themes, software, fill, clues and rejection, quoting real published interviews with constructors and editors.

Guide · 7 min
Word History

Origins of the Crossword Puzzle: Who Invented It and When

Arthur Wynne's “Word-Cross” appeared in the New York World on 21 December 1913. How it grew into a global habit, from the 1924 craze and British cryptics to the NYT crossword and today's apps.

History · 12 min
News

ACPT 2025 Recap: Paolo Pasco Wins His Second Straight Title

Paolo Pasco won the 2025 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford, solving the final in 3:43 ahead of Will Nediger and Dan Feyer. The verified top 10, division winners, constructors and scoring rules.

News · 6 min