What Is a Cryptic Crossword?
A cryptic crossword is a crossword in which every clue is a small word puzzle. Each clue contains a normal definition of the answer plus a piece of wordplay — an anagram, a hidden word, a reversal, a sound-alike and so on — that leads to the same answer by a second route. The clue is written so that its surface reading means something quite different, which is where the "cryptic" misdirection comes from. Cryptics are a staple of British newspapers such as The Guardian, The Times and The Telegraph, and are also popular in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India.
Compare the two styles. An American-style clue for SILENT would simply be "Making no sound." A cryptic clue might be "Listen out for quiet (6)": "quiet" is the definition, and "listen out" tells you to rearrange the letters of LISTEN. The number in brackets is the length of the answer.
When people search for a "difficult cryptic crossword meaning", they usually want to know how a word like difficult is used inside a clue. There is no single code: difficult most often stands for a synonym such as HARD, TOUGH or TRYING, and occasionally a setter uses it (like awkward) to hint that letters should be jumbled. The abbreviations section below covers the most common substitutions.
How Cryptic Clues Work
Almost every cryptic clue has two parts: a definition and a wordplay component. The definition sits at the very beginning or the very end of the clue, never in the middle. The wordplay is the rest of the clue, sometimes joined to the definition by a short link word such as "for", "from", "gives" or "in".
This double route is what makes cryptics satisfying: when the definition and the wordplay agree, you know you are right. If only one of them works, keep looking.
The Golden Rule
In a fair cryptic clue, every word has a job: it is part of the definition, part of the wordplay, an indicator, or a link word. Ignore the story the surface tells you and ask what each word is doing.
Stuck on a particular answer? Our crossword solver finds words that fit a letter pattern, and the anagram solver is handy for checking anagram fodder.
1. Anagram
The letters of one or more words in the clue (the fodder) are rearranged to form the answer. An anagram indicator signals the rearrangement; it usually suggests change, damage, disorder, movement or cooking.
Common anagram indicators: confused, mixed, disordered, rearranged, reorganised, upset, drunk, broken, wild, scrambled, odd, strange, awry, new, out, badly, cooked.
Example
"Listen out for quiet (6)"
Definition: "quiet". Link: "for". Indicator: "out". Fodder: LISTEN (L-I-S-T-E-N) rearranged gives S-I-L-E-N-T. Answer: SILENT
Longer Example
"Dirty room reorganised where students sleep (9)"
Definition: "where students sleep". Indicator: "reorganised". Fodder: DIRTY ROOM (D, I, R, T, Y, R, O, O, M) — exactly the nine letters of D-O-R-M-I-T-O-R-Y. Answer: DORMITORY
2. Double Definition
The clue consists of two separate definitions of the same word, with no other wordplay. These clues are usually short and exploit words with very different meanings.
Example
"Student with an eye opening (5)"
Definition 1: "Student" = PUPIL. Link: "with". Definition 2: "eye opening" = the pupil, the opening in the centre of the iris. Answer: PUPIL
Example
"All right to penalise (4)"
Definition 1: "All right" = FINE. Link: "to". Definition 2: "penalise" = to FINE someone. Answer: FINE
3. Hidden Word
The answer is spelled out in consecutive letters of the clue, usually straddling word boundaries. An indicator tells you to look inside the words. In a reverse hidden, the answer is hidden backwards.
Common hidden word indicators: in, in part, some, partly, within, inside, concealed by, held by, seen in, found in, a bit of.
Example
"Whale seen in tractor cab (4)"
Definition: "Whale". Indicator: "seen in". Hidden: tractOR CAb → O-R-C-A. Answer: ORCA
Example
"Cereal found in Cairo at noon (3)"
Definition: "Cereal". Indicator: "found in". Hidden: CairO AT noon → O-A-T. Answer: OAT
4. Reversal
A word (often a synonym of something in the clue) is written backwards to give the answer. In Across clues the indicators suggest going back or west; in Down clues they may suggest going up or rising.
Common reversal indicators: back, returned, sent back, reversed, turned, reflected, retiring, going west (Across), up, rising, overturned (Down).
Example
"Rodents back a celebrity (4)"
Wordplay: "Rodents" = RATS, "back" = reversed → S-T-A-R. Definition: "a celebrity". Answer: STAR
Example
"Stressed, sent back puddings (8)"
Wordplay: STRESSED written backwards is D-E-S-S-E-R-T-S. Indicator: "sent back". Definition: "puddings". Answer: DESSERTS
5. Charade
Two or more pieces — words, synonyms or abbreviations — are placed end to end to build the answer, like the syllables acted out in the parlour game. There is often no indicator at all, or just a joining word such as "with", "and", "by" or "after" (which can also tell you the order).
Example
"Vehicle's favourite floor covering (6)"
Wordplay: "Vehicle" = CAR, "'s" = has, "favourite" = PET → CAR + PET. Definition: "floor covering". Answer: CARPET
Example
"Ocean child — spring, for example (6)"
Wordplay: "Ocean" = SEA, "child" = SON → SEA + SON. Definition: "spring, for example" (a definition by example: spring is one season). Answer: SEASON
6. Container (Insertion)
One piece is placed inside another. The indicator tells you which piece goes where: "A around B" or "A holding B" puts B inside A; "A in B" or "A caught by B" puts A inside B.
Common container indicators: in, inside, around, about, containing, embracing, housing, wearing, holding, swallowing, caught in, outside.
Example
"Look hard as sailor's caught in south-east (5)"
Definition: "Look hard". Link: "as". Wordplay: "sailor" = TAR, "caught in" = placed inside, "south-east" = SE → S(TAR)E = S-T-A-R-E. Answer: STARE
7. Homophone
The answer sounds like another word indicated in the clue. Homophone indicators refer to hearing, speaking or broadcasting.
Common homophone indicators: we hear, sounds like, reportedly, audibly, say, spoken, in speech, they say, on the radio, for the audience.
Example
"Dark time for Sir Lancelot, we hear (5)"
Definition: "Dark time". Wordplay: Sir Lancelot is a KNIGHT; "we hear" says the answer sounds like that word. Answer: NIGHT
Example
"Coin dispatched, reportedly (4)"
Definition: "Coin". Wordplay: "dispatched" = SENT, and "reportedly" means the answer sounds like it. Answer: CENT
8. Deletion
One or more letters are removed from a word to give the answer. The indicator tells you which: headless, beheaded, topless (first letter off); endless, curtailed, almost, mostly (last letter off); heartless, gutted (middle letter or letters off).
Example: Beheadment
"Fruit from ooze, beheaded (4)"
Definition: "Fruit". Link: "from". Wordplay: "ooze" = SLIME, "beheaded" removes the S → L-I-M-E. Answer: LIME
Example: Curtailment
"Scheme for aircraft endlessly (4)"
Definition: "Scheme". Link: "for". Wordplay: "aircraft" = PLANE, "endlessly" removes the final E → P-L-A-N. Answer: PLAN
Example: Heartless
"Heartless beast is the finest (4)"
Wordplay: BEAST with its middle letter (A) removed → B-E-S-T. Link: "is". Definition: "the finest". Answer: BEST
9. Cryptic Definition
The whole clue is a single, deliberately misleading definition, with no separate wordplay. It usually relies on reading an ordinary word in an unexpected way, and it often ends with a question mark to warn you.
Example
"Flower of London? (6)"
Analysis: "Flower" here is not a bloom but something that flows — a river. The river that flows through London is the Thames. Answer: THAMES
Alternating Letters, Initial Letters and &lit
Most guides count nine main types, but setters use a few more devices that are worth recognising.
Alternating letters
Here the answer is made from every other letter of the fodder. Indicators include regularly, oddly, evenly, alternately, every other, from time to time and periodically. "Oddly" means take the 1st, 3rd, 5th… letters; "evenly" means the 2nd, 4th, 6th…; "regularly" can mean either.
Example
"Regularly reveals fish (3)"
Indicator: "Regularly". Fodder: rEvEaLs — the 2nd, 4th and 6th letters are E-E-L. Definition: "fish". Answer: EEL
Initial (and final) letters
Words like initially, at first, leaders, heads of, starts ask you to take the first letters of a run of words; finally, ultimately, ends of, tails ask for the last letters.
Example
"Initially, sailors enjoy adventure on the main (3)"
Indicator: "Initially". Letters: Sailors Enjoy Adventure → S-E-A. Link: "on". Definition: "the main" (an old word for the open sea). Answer: SEA
&lit (all-in-one)
In an "&lit" clue (short for "and literally so"), the whole clue is the wordplay and the whole clue is also the definition. These are rare and much admired.
Example
"I'm a leader of Muslims (4)"
Wordplay: I'M + A + M (the first letter, or "leader", of Muslims) → I-M-A-M. Definition: read literally, the whole clue describes an imam. Answer: IMAM
You will also meet spoonerisms (the initial sounds of two words are swapped, flagged by a reference to Spooner) and composite anagrams, but they are much less common.
What Do Question Marks Mean in Cryptic Crosswords?
A question mark at the end of a cryptic clue is the setter admitting that something is not strictly literal. It usually signals one of three things:
- A cryptic definition — the whole clue is a pun or a misleading reading, as in "Flower of London? (6)" = THAMES above.
- A definition by example — the clue gives an instance of the answer rather than a synonym. "Rover?" or "Fido, perhaps" can clue DOG, because Rover is one example of a dog's name.
- A whimsical or stretched step in the wordplay — a slightly loose synonym or a jokey surface that the setter wants to acknowledge.
Definition by example
Because a single example does not strictly define a category, fair setters flag it with perhaps, say, maybe, for example, for one, possibly or a question mark. So "Spring, for example" can mean SEASON, "Poodle, say" can mean DOG, and "Everest, perhaps" can mean PEAK or MOUNTAIN. If you see one of those words next to a proper noun or a specific thing, think of the wider category.
Common Abbreviations and Substitutions
Cryptic setters rely on a shared vocabulary of short substitutions. Learning the most common ones speeds up solving enormously. A few you will meet again and again:
- us → US or WE (and "American" can be A, AM or US)
- her → HER or SHE; "Her Majesty" → HM or ER
- I / one → I, A, AN, UN; "I am" or "I'm" → IM
- difficult → HARD, TOUGH, TRYING; occasionally an anagram indicator
- love, nothing, zero, duck, ring → O
- sailor → AB, TAR, SALT, OS
- doctor → DR, MO, GP, MD, MB, DOC (also an anagram indicator)
- about → C, CA, RE (also a reversal, container or anagram indicator)
- quiet → P or SH; loud → F
- church → CH or CE; street / saint → ST
- king → K, R, REX; queen → Q, R, ER, QU
- the French → LE, LA, LES; the old → YE
- learner / student → L; small → S; very → V
- compass points → N, S, E, W (and "partner" or "bridge player" can be any of them)
- Roman numerals → I (one), V (five), X (ten, or "times", "kiss"), L (fifty), C (hundred), D (five hundred), M (thousand)
- worker → ANT or BEE; note → A–G, or DO/DOH, RE, MI/ME, FA/FAH, SO/SOH, LA/LAH, TI/TE
For more solving vocabulary, see our crossword glossary.
Charade vs. Rebus: What's the Difference?
The two terms are easy to confuse. A charade is a cryptic clue type in which the answer is built from pieces placed one after another, such as CAR + PET = CARPET. A rebus, in the American crossword sense, is a puzzle gimmick in which several letters, a whole word or a symbol must be written into a single square of the grid (for example, the letters HEART squeezed into one box). In general wordplay, a rebus is also a picture puzzle where images stand for sounds or words. Some solvers loosely call substitution-heavy clues "rebus-like", but in cryptic terminology the side-by-side construction is a charade.
Practice: Test Yourself
Here are five clues, one for each of five common types. Find the definition first (at the start or end), then work out the wordplay.
- "Lemon mixed for fruit (5)" — Anagram.
- "Firm and hard (5)" — Double definition.
- "Dog found in top Ugandan hotel (3)" — Hidden word.
- "Deity's dog going back (3)" — Reversal.
- "Standard rubbish for a talking bird (6)" — Charade.
Answers
1. MELON — LEMON (L-E-M-O-N) "mixed" gives M-E-L-O-N; definition "fruit". 2. SOLID — "firm" = SOLID and "hard" = SOLID. 3. PUG — hidden in toP UGandan; definition "Dog". 4. GOD — "dog" written backwards is G-O-D; definition "Deity". 5. PARROT — "standard" = PAR, "rubbish" = ROT, giving PAR + ROT; definition "a talking bird".
The best way to get comfortable with cryptic clues is repetition. Try our daily cryptic crossword and apply these frameworks to each clue: spot the indicator, separate the definition from the wordplay, and check that both routes lead to the same answer. If you prefer to warm up with something quicker, the Mini crossword and the daily crossword are good places to build speed, and our clue database can help when you are stuck on a specific clue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cryptic crossword?
A cryptic crossword is a crossword in which each clue contains both a straight definition of the answer and a piece of wordplay (such as an anagram, hidden word or reversal) that leads to the same answer. The surface reading of the clue is designed to mislead.
What does "difficult" mean in a cryptic crossword clue?
Usually it stands for a synonym such as HARD, TOUGH or TRYING. Occasionally it is used like "awkward" to indicate an anagram of nearby letters.
What do question marks mean in cryptic crosswords?
A question mark warns that part of the clue is not literal. It often marks a cryptic definition (a pun on the whole clue), a definition by example (such as "Rover?" for DOG), or a playful step in the wordplay.
What does "us" mean in cryptic clues?
"Us" is usually replaced by US or WE. The letters US can also come from "American" or "the States".
What does "her" mean in a cryptic crossword?
"Her" is commonly replaced by HER or SHE. "Her Majesty" often gives HM or ER.
What is a definition by example in cryptic crosswords?
It is a definition that gives one instance of the answer instead of a synonym — for example "spring, for example" for SEASON, or "Poodle, say" for DOG. Setters flag it with words like "perhaps", "say", "for example" or a question mark.
What are alternating letter clues?
In an alternating letter clue the answer is formed from every other letter of some words in the clue. Indicators include "regularly", "oddly", "evenly" and "alternately". For example, "Regularly reveals fish (3)" gives EEL from the even letters of rEvEaLs.
What is the difference between a charade and a rebus?
A charade builds the answer from parts placed side by side (CAR + PET = CARPET). A rebus, in American crosswords, is a square that holds more than one letter or a symbol.