How the levels work
Beginner puzzles use the two easiest kinds of cryptic clue: anagrams, where the letters of some words in the clue are mixed up, and hidden words, where the answer is spelled out inside the clue. Each one has a clear signal word such as “mixed”, “broken” or “in”.
Intermediate puzzles add charades (the answer built from parts, like PA + RIS), containers (one part goes inside another), reversals (a word read backwards) and homophones (words that sound alike). Advanced puzzles use every kind of clue, including deletions, first letters and clues where the whole sentence is the definition.
You can switch to Straight clues at any time for an ordinary crossword.
How to solve a cryptic clue
Almost every cryptic clue has two parts: a plain definition of the answer, at the very start or the very end, and some wordplay that builds the same answer another way. First find the definition. Then look for a signal word that tells you what the wordplay does, such as “mixed” for an anagram or “back” for a reversal.
Count the letters you need, and check that both halves of the clue lead to the same word. When the definition and the wordplay agree, you have the answer. Our guide How to solve cryptic crosswords goes through every type of clue with examples, and the abbreviations guide lists the short forms that setters use, such as N for north or L for learner.
How it works button
Once you have solved or revealed an answer, a How it works button appears under its clue. It shows the definition and the wordplay, so you can see exactly how the clue was put together. This is the quickest way to learn: try a beginner puzzle, reveal an answer if you are stuck, and read how it works.
Playing, printing and sharing
Tap a square or a clue and type. Check and Reveal work on a letter, a word or the whole grid, and wrong letters are crossed out in red. Press Print for the puzzle on one page and the answers, with explanations, on another. Every puzzle has a code, so a friend can open the same cryptic crossword and see who finishes first.
Questions and answers
I have never done a cryptic crossword. Where should I start?
Choose Beginner and a 9 × 9 grid. Every clue is an anagram or a hidden word with a clear signal. Reveal a word if you are stuck and press How it works to see how it was made.
Are the explanations shown straight away?
No. They appear only after you have solved or revealed an answer, so they never spoil a clue you are still working on. The printed answer page includes them too.
Is it really free, with no sign-up?
Yes. There is nothing to join and nothing to type in. The puzzle is made in your browser, and the letters you fill in are saved only on your own device so you can carry on later.
How do I share a puzzle with someone?
Press Copy link, or give them the puzzle code printed under the grid (it looks like 13BC2-4F7KQ). Opening the link, or typing the code into “Got a puzzle code from a friend?”, rebuilds exactly the same crossword. Your answers are not shared.
Can I print it with the answers?
Yes. Press Print. The puzzle comes out on the first page with a numbered grid and the clues, and the answers and the filled-in grid on a separate page, so you can hand out the puzzle and keep the answers. Untick “Print the answers on a separate page” to leave them out. It fits A4 and US Letter paper.
Where do the clues come from?
Every clue was written for this site. None are copied from newspapers or other puzzles. Answers are everyday, family-friendly words and phrases, with British spelling.
What is the difference between a British and a free-form grid?
A British grid is the square, symmetrical kind in UK newspapers: black squares make the same pattern if you turn the grid upside down, and about half the letters in each answer are shared with another answer. A free-form grid is a criss-cross of words on an open background. It is the best choice for a whole puzzle on one topic.
Why can’t I choose an American-style grid?
American grids share every letter between an across and a down answer. That needs a word list many times bigger than our hand-written clue list, so for now we offer British blocked grids and free-form grids, which always come out complete and fair.