Crossword Puzzle Glossary

Every crossword term you need to know — from Across to Wordplay. 35 terms defined.

ABCDEFGHILMNPRSTUW

A

Across
Clues and answers that read horizontally from left to right in the crossword grid. Across clues are typically listed before Down clues.
Answer
The word or phrase that correctly fills in the squares for a given clue. Also called an entry.

B

Black square
A filled-in (dark) square in the grid that separates words. Black squares define the grid pattern and cannot contain letters.

C

Checking
When a letter appears in both an Across and a Down answer. In American-style crosswords, every letter is fully checked (part of two words). In British-style, some letters may be unchecked.
Clue
The hint or definition provided for each answer. Clues can be straightforward definitions, wordplay, fill-in-the-blank, or cryptic constructions.
Constructor
The person who creates a crossword puzzle. Also called a setter (British) or cruciverbalist.
Cross
The intersection point where an Across answer and a Down answer share a letter. Crosses provide hints for both words.
Crosswordese
Common short words that appear frequently in crosswords due to their useful letter combinations. Examples: ERA, ORE, ARIA, ALOE, EPEE, OREO, OLEO, ANTE, ERNE.
Cryptic clue
A clue style used primarily in British crosswords where each clue contains both a definition and wordplay (anagram, hidden word, reversal, etc.) leading to the same answer.

D

Daily puzzle
A new crossword published every day. In Grid Genius, the daily challenge resets at midnight UTC and is the same puzzle for all players worldwide.
Difficulty
How challenging a crossword puzzle is. Grid Genius offers Easy, Medium, and Hard. The NYT uses day-of-week (Monday = easiest, Saturday = hardest).
Down
Clues and answers that read vertically from top to bottom in the crossword grid.

E

Editor
The person who reviews, refines, and approves crossword puzzles before publication. Will Shortz is the NYT crossword editor.
Entry
A single answer in the crossword grid. Also called a word or fill.

F

Fill
The collection of all answers in a completed crossword grid. 'Good fill' means the puzzle uses interesting, common words rather than obscure abbreviations.
Fill-in-the-blank
A clue type where part of a phrase is missing and the solver must complete it. Example: '___ of the Wild' = CALL. Usually the easiest clue type.

G

Grid
The pattern of white and black squares that defines the crossword puzzle structure. Common grid sizes are 5x5 (mini), 7x7 (mini), 11x11 (standard), 15x15 (standard), and 21x21 (Sunday).
Grid size
The dimensions of the crossword grid. Grid Genius offers Mini (7x7), Standard (11x11), and Large (15x15). The NYT daily is 15x15 and Sunday is 21x21.

H

Hint
An in-app feature that reveals information to help solve. Grid Genius offers Reveal Letter (one letter), Reveal Word (entire word), and Check Puzzle (highlights errors).

I

Interlock
The way words cross each other in the grid, sharing letters at intersection points. Good interlocking creates a web of connected answers.

L

Leaderboard
A ranking of solvers by performance. Grid Genius has global leaderboards (daily, weekly, monthly, all-time) ranked by speed, accuracy, and difficulty.

M

Mini crossword
A small crossword puzzle, typically 5x5 or 7x7, designed to be completed in 1-5 minutes. Both Grid Genius and the NYT offer free daily minis.

N

Numbering
The system of assigning numbers to grid squares where answers begin. Numbers run left-to-right, top-to-bottom. A square gets a number if it starts an Across word, a Down word, or both.

P

Pangram
A crossword that uses every letter of the alphabet at least once in its answers.
Pattern
The arrangement of black and white squares in the grid. American crosswords traditionally have 180-degree rotational symmetry.

R

Rebus
A square that contains more than one letter, a number, or a symbol. Used in themed puzzles, especially Thursday NYT crosswords.
Reveal
A hint feature that shows the correct answer for a letter, word, or section. In Grid Genius: Reveal Letter shows one letter, Reveal Word shows an entire answer.

S

Solver
A person who works on completing a crossword puzzle. Also called a cruciverbalist (though this term more commonly refers to constructors).
Streak
The number of consecutive days a solver has completed the daily puzzle. Grid Genius awards milestone badges at 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180, and 365 days.
Symmetry
The visual balance of the grid pattern. Most American crosswords use 180-degree rotational symmetry — if you turn the grid upside down, the pattern looks the same.

T

Theme
A unifying concept connecting the longest answers in a crossword. Themed puzzles might have answers that are all movie titles, contain hidden words, or share a wordplay gimmick.
Topic
The subject area of a crossword puzzle. Grid Genius offers 50+ topics (Science, History, Sports, etc.) and can generate puzzles on any custom topic via AI.

U

Unchecked letter
A letter that appears in only one word (either Across or Down, but not both). Common in British-style crosswords, rare in American-style where all letters are typically checked.

W

Word count
The total number of answers in a crossword. A standard 15x15 American crossword typically has 72-78 words. Lower word counts mean longer, more interesting entries.
Wordplay
A clue technique that uses puns, double meanings, or misdirection. Clues ending with '?' often signal wordplay. Example: 'Current event?' = SWIM.

Ready to put these terms into practice?

Try a free crossword puzzle and see how many glossary terms you recognize in action.

Play a Puzzle

Related guides