Cryptic Crosswords Explained: How to Decode the Clues

Cryptic crosswords look impossible until someone shows you the trick — and then they become wonderfully addictive. The secret is this: almost every cryptic clue contains two routes to the same answer. One part is a straight definition; the other is wordplay that spells the answer a second way. Your job is to find where one ends and the other begins.

Definition + wordplay

The definition always sits at the very start or the very end of the clue. The rest is the wordplay. Once you suspect which end is the definition, you can test the other half against the letters you already have from the crossings — the same crossing-first habit we teach in how to solve the WSJ Crossword.

The main clue types

• Anagram: a “mixed,” “broken” or “crazy” signal means rearrange nearby letters.
• Hidden word: the answer sits inside the clue’s words — “in part” or “some” often flags it.
• Charade: build the answer piece by piece from smaller words.
• Homophone: “we hear” or “reportedly” means it sounds like another word.
• Container: one word is placed inside another.
• Reversal: “going back” or “returned” means read it backwards.
• Double definition: two meanings of the same word, side by side.

Learn the indicator words

Cryptics are fair: a reliable set of “indicator” words tells you which device is in play. Recognizing those signals is the whole game, much like spotting the shorthand in our crossword abbreviations guide. Start with short clues, confirm with crossings, and build up. For the lighter American-style wordplay, the WSJ’s daily puzzle is great practice — you can always check today’s answers if a clue won’t crack. Curious where this tradition came from? See our short history of the crossword.