Learn Cryptic Crosswords

What is a cryptic crossword?

In a cryptic (British-style) crossword, each clue is a little puzzle in itself—involving wordplay such as anagrams, homophones, hidden words, and other devilish tricks.

The surface reading of the clue is not important. Rather, the clue hints at the solution in two different ways, and thus is composed of two parts:

• The definition

  This part of the clue is a straightforward (or thinly/thickly disguised) definition of the solution. The definition always appears at the start or end of the clue.

• The wordplay

  The rest of the clue is an enigmatic hint, in which wordplay gives a second path to the solution.

Example

What is Learn Cryptic?

Learn Cryptic is a daily game that teaches the cryptic-curious how to decipher clues.

As with regular (American-style) crosswords, it takes a lot of practice to get good at solving cryptic puzzles. For beginners, the learning curve can be steep. There are several kinds of hints to help guide you:

• Clue type

  At the top left of the screen, purple pills tell you the type(s) of wordplay used. A single clue can use as many as four different types of wordplay. Tap the pills to learn about each type. Tap the eye to toggle this feature off and on.

  

• Hints

  The "Show hint" and "Reveal solution" buttons guide you through each step of deciphering the clue. If you've correctly guessed the solution but you're not sure how the clue works, press the "Show logic" button to be guided through the steps.

  

• Reveal letter

  Need help with just one letter? Tap any blank square in the solution box to reveal that specific letter.

  

• Difficulty

  A new clue is released each day. They progress in difficulty as the week goes on—Monday's are the easiest clues, while Sunday's are the trickiest. The difficulty indicator will tell you how challenging a clue might be.

  

What different types of wordplay will I find?

Tap a type below to explore:

• Anagram
• Charade
• Container
• Deletion
• Double Definition
• Hidden Word
• Homophone
• Initialism
• Letter Bank
• Reversal
• Spoonerism
• & Lit.
• Combination

Anything else I should know?

You now know the basics of cryptic crosswords, let's dive in!