About Daily Crossword
The Daily Crossword is a newspaper-size puzzle you can finish over a cup of tea. The 13 × 13 grid follows the British blocked style: black squares sit in a symmetric pattern, every other letter of an answer is shared with a crossing answer, and answers run from four to eleven letters. The clues are plain definitions written for this site, with no cryptic tricks, so it is a fair test of vocabulary rather than of puzzle conventions. A new grid and a fresh set of answers arrive every day.
How to play Daily Crossword
- Press Start to show the clues and start the clock. Tap a square or a clue, then type; tap the square again, press Space or tap the clue bar to switch between across and down.
- Every other letter of each answer crosses another answer; the letters in between belong to one answer only, so read both clues.
- The number in brackets after a clue is the length of the answer. When every square is filled the grid is checked automatically.
- Check marks wrong letters and Reveal shows a letter or a word, but a helped grid counts for your streak, not for the leaderboard. Fastest correct grid ranks first.
Tips & strategy
- Fill in the short answers first: four and five-letter words give you the shared letters that open up the long ones.
- Use the number in brackets. A clue that could mean several things often has only one answer of the right length.
- Squares between the shared letters belong to one answer only, so when a word will not come, try its neighbours across and down.
- If a whole corner is stuck, Reveal a single letter rather than a word; it costs your leaderboard place but keeps most of the fun.
Daily Crossword: questions and answers
Is this a cryptic crossword?
No. Every clue is a straightforward definition, a fill-in-the-blank or a short description of the answer. Clues with a little wordplay end in a question mark.
Why are some squares in only one answer?
That is the British style of grid. Every other letter of each answer is shared with a crossing answer, which keeps a 13 × 13 grid open with long answers.
How is my time ranked?
The fastest correct grid on the day ranks first. The clock pauses while the page is hidden, and a grid finished with Check or Reveal still counts for your streak but is not ranked.
Can I play older crosswords?
Yes. The archive keeps every daily crossword for 60 days, so you can catch up on any you missed.