excellent crossword puzzle clue – All Crossword Answers
Welcome! If you're tackling the clue "excellent crossword puzzle clue", you've come to the right place. We've compiled the most fitting answers to help you complete your puzzle with ease, along with helpful explanations to boost your crossword skills.
Solutions for "excellent crossword puzzle clue" by Letter Count
6 Letters
SUPERB: A strong synonym for excellent, directly describing the clue's quality or ingenuity.
CLEVER: Often, an excellent clue uses wit, wordplay, or misdirection skillfully, making it clever.
9 Letters
BRILLIANT: Implies high quality, ingenuity, and a dazzling level of skill in the clue's design.
More About "excellent crossword puzzle clue"
The phrase "excellent crossword puzzle clue" points to the pinnacle of cryptic or general knowledge crossword crafting. Such clues are the ones that make you pause, ponder, and then erupt with an "aha!" moment when the solution finally clicks. They are meticulously designed to be fair yet challenging, often employing ingenious wordplay, subtle misdirection, or a brilliant turn of phrase that perfectly aligns with the answer.
What makes a clue truly excellent is its ability to blend a clear definition with clever wordplay. This might involve intricate anagrams, cunning homophones, deceptive surface readings, or a concise, evocative description that leads you down the garden path before revealing a surprisingly straightforward answer. The mark of an expert crossword setter is their capacity to consistently create clues that are both solvable and deeply satisfying.
Tips For Your Next Puzzle
- Analyze the Word Length: Always check the number of letters required. This immediately narrows down your possibilities and can guide your thinking, especially with a clue like "excellent crossword puzzle clue" where multiple synonyms might fit.
- Consider Synonyms and Antonyms: For descriptive clues, think broadly about words with similar or opposite meanings that fit the context. An "excellent" clue could be "superb," "brilliant," or even "witty."
- Look for Wordplay Indicators: If it's a cryptic or more complex clue, watch for common indicators of anagrams ("confused," "mixed up"), reversals ("back," "up"), or hidden words ("contains," "in part"). Excellent clues integrate these smoothly.
- Think Outside the Box: Sometimes, the obvious answer isn't the correct one. Excellent clues often use common words in unusual or metaphorical ways. Don't be afraid to consider less common interpretations of words.
For more advice, visit our page on general crossword strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a crossword clue 'excellent'?
An excellent crossword clue is typically one that is fair but challenging, offering a satisfying 'aha!' moment. It often employs clever wordplay, subtle misdirection, or a brilliant turn of phrase that guides you to the correct answer once its logic is unraveled. It should be precise, clear, and not rely on obscure knowledge, focusing instead on linguistic skill and general understanding.
How can I identify a well-crafted crossword clue?
Well-crafted clues stand out through their ingenuity. They might use synonyms in unexpected ways, skillfully incorporate homophones, anagrams, or reversals, or cleverly embed the definition within the wordplay. Look for clues that have a distinct definition and consistent wordplay that, despite initial confusion, accurately points to one specific answer.
Are there different types of excellent crossword clues?
Yes, what constitutes an 'excellent' clue can vary by crossword type. In cryptic crosswords, excellent clues are often highly intricate puzzles combining definition and wordplay (e.g., anagrams, charades, reversals, container clues). In standard crosswords, an excellent clue might be one that uses a common word in a surprising or humorous context, or a vivid, evocative description that perfectly fits the answer and delights the solver.