How to solve crosswords
Find the clue number in the grid and check whether it is across or down. Its answer begins in that cell and continues to an edge or blocked cell.
1. Match each clue to its entry
Find the clue number in the grid and check whether it is across or down. Its answer begins in that cell and continues to an edge or blocked cell. Count the available spaces before proposing a word.
2. Solve what you recognize
Start with direct definitions or familiar topics. For “Animal that meows,” CAT fits three cells. Enter one letter per cell and omit word spaces when that is the activity’s convention. Keep uncertain answers in pencil.
3. Use shared letters
Every crossing narrows another answer’s possibilities. If a three-letter word starts with C and ends with T, those positions help with its clue. Do not choose a word solely because its letters fit; it must answer the clue’s meaning too.
4. Check form and convention
In a direct definition, a plural clue normally calls for a plural answer. Check the word type and length too. Activities may handle accents, hyphens and spaces differently, so follow their instructions. Temblu’s Spanish game omits accent marks while retaining Ñ.
5. Trace an error through its crossings
If no reasonable answer fits, review the words supplying the letters already entered. A provisional answer may have blocked a correct one. Erase only what you cannot justify and reread both clues before changing more cells.
6. Check every entry
After filling the board, reread every clue with its answer. Check spelling and crossings rather than just the absence of blanks. For a custom crossword, use clear clues and words sharing letters; review any unplaced-word notice before printing.