Why you’ll love crosswords – and the secrets to get you started
Our expert explains the quiet magic of crosswords – with seven simple tips to help you start solving with confidence.
Saga
Our expert explains the quiet magic of crosswords – with seven simple tips to help you start solving with confidence.
Don’t be intimidated by crosswords. That simple grid, with its blank squares waiting for the letters needed to fill them, is a treat. It’s an invitation to slow down and linger over something playful and inconsequential for a few minutes. It’s also a ticket to ride that might send you around the world, into outer space, or back to the distant past.
And do not be scared. The traditional crossword is not cryptic. It’s not a thing of arcane rules and intricate wordplay. It’s not a private members club that doesn’t want to let you in. This is not to besmirch cryptic crosswords, incidentally: they’re wonderful – but they’re also very different to traditional crosswords.
A good crossword’s not trying to trip you up or befuddle you. In fact, it’s simplicity itself. Each clue points you towards a word, and the numbers in brackets at the end of the clue even tell you how many letters the word contains. What could be fairer?
It’s these clues, taken together, that work so much of the crossword’s magic. World cities, flowers, job titles, sporting terms, historical figures: crossword clues shake you out of the morning you’re having and direct your mind towards all kinds of interesting, unusual places.
They’re a nice stretchy warm-up exercise for the memory, sending you back into your stores of general knowledge. Which wife did survive Henry VIII? What is the capital of Morocco, and did you ever actually know that in the first place?
Then there are the synonyms. Think of these as a nice jog for your brain. What’s another word for artfulness? What’s a four-letter way of saying you’re feeling a bit chilly?
A great crossword clue makes you jiggle your vocabulary around as if you’re shaking ice cubes in a drink. You’ll leave the grid with words you haven’t thought of in years, words you had to reach for, words you can now try to find a use for in everyday life. It’s mind-expanding stuff.
As friendly as crosswords are, it’s always helpful to have a few tips to get started.
A clue should always have a single clear answer. The capital of France is always going to be Paris.
If a clue points you to a couple of potential solutions, go back to the letter count. Which of your potential words fits the best? (This is particularly handy for those synonym clues.)
Also, if you’re stuck, look at the clues you’ve already solved and added to the grid. The cross-letters, where one answer crosses through the space of another, are there to help you. It’s not cheating if an earlier answer now tells you that three letters into the word that’s currently eluding you, there’s a letter A. This is classic crossword strategy! Use every trick you can to orient yourself and get closer to the right word.
Onwards. It’s entirely fair to have a dictionary with you while you solve crosswords, so that you can track down the more obscure words whose visible letters aren’t sparking anything in your mind. A few minutes of paging through a dictionary is only ever going to add to the pleasures of your day, anyway. Crosswords are puzzles for the eternally curious, so use them as an excuse to dig around and disappear down rabbit holes.
Experiment. If you’ve got two letters of a five-letter clue, try adding random letters to the empty spaces to see if they spark anything in you. Doing this will often allow you to figure out which letters are likely to be vowels or consonants. Equally, you can look through the grid and pick out multi-word answers, which are indicated by squares separated with a dash. You can generally guess the syllable count in each chunk of letters, and that allows you to find the rhythm of a word or phrase before you know what it actually is.
Even though the clues are numbered, and arranged in “down” and “across” lists, feel free to start absolutely wherever you want to. Pick a corner of the grid and solve outwards from there, perhaps. Or focus on short answers – although, be aware, short words aren’t always easier to find than long ones.
And this is crucial: if a clue isn’t coming into focus for you, skip it for now and move on. It’s astonishing how many answers suggest themselves after a few moments spent elsewhere.
Over time, you may come to love crosswords and the moments of problem-solving clarity they provide. How do you navigate a chaotic world? Ritual certainly helps. Combine a crossword with your morning coffee, or a late-night slice of cake. Make it something to look forward to.
And remember: it’s the rest of the world that’s arcane and intricate and eager to befuddle you. Crosswords are not that kind of thing at all. Here is a place to impose a little order and enjoy doing it.
Ready to begin?
Your chance to win cruise for two to Cádiz, Casablanca and the Canary Islands, worth more than £9,600.
Buy direct and start a new Saga Health Insurance policy by the end of 10 December 2026 to get your first 3 months free. T&Cs apply.
Underwritten by Bupa Insurance Limited.
These engrossing novels and fascinating non-fiction picks are the perfect summer escape.
Dr Mark Porter dives into the health issues affecting us all in the new podcast from Saga.
The celebrity historian shares her travel stories and disasters.
The BBC newsreader on running 23 marathons, coping with grief and why she’s still chasing new challenges at 58.
The writer and broadcaster on childhood adventures, Winnie-the-Pooh and the lesson that has guided him.
The TV presenter shares her favourite places and the surprising companion she would love to travel with.
TV’s Dr Hilary Jones on why he wants sweeping reform to modern healthcare.
