Clues ending with a question mark signify a play on words

Start thinking outside of the box when you come across a clue ending in a question mark, it means there is wordplay involved. Example: Group of towers?

Clues with an abbreviation hint at an abbreviated answer

If you see an abbreviation in the clue, the answer will also be an abbreviation. Example: Drivers' org.

Go all the way through the clues and answers in order to start

It's easy to overlook clues and answers if you hunt and peck through a puzzle. Try going straight through all the clues and fill in what you know at the beginning(we do across and then down, but it doesn't make a difference). After the first pass you can concentrate on areas that you have a good start on.

Fill in the blank clues are often easy

If you see any fill in the blank clues try guessing what the answer is before you see how many letters the answer has. Many times your first intuition is right and it's easier than trying to think about how many letters a word has. Example: "___ approved" (motel sign)

Watch out for clues that hint at foreign language answers

Crossword puzzles often have a few answers in non-english languages (Spanish, French, German and Latin are all popular). Knowing a few basic words in each of these languages can significantly help your puzzle solving skills. The clue normally hints at this in a few ways:

• Foreign city or country in name: Mexican mister
• Mention of a famous person from another country: Article for Mozart
• Use of a foreign word: Deutsche article

Find the puzzle's theme

Crossword puzzle constructors normally start with a theme and after placing the related answers fill in the blanks with "fill" words (the clues/answers you start to see multiple times). If you can figure out a puzzle's theme it makes solving the puzzle much easier since most theme answers are longer (often multiple words). If the puzzle has a title you should take that into account when hunting for the theme. Often puzzle themes tie into wordplay, so a good place to look for the theme is with the clues ending in question marks.

General knowledge you need for solving crossword puzzles

• Roman Numerals (e.g. 61 to Caesar and One-fifth of CCCV)
• Capital cities (LIMA, ACCRA, CAIRO, RABAT, TUNIS, TRIPOLI and DAKAR)
• Bible characters (MARY, ABEL, AMOS, AARON and ESAU)
• Famous artists (HENRI, RENOIR, DEGAS, MONET and MANET)

Use Crossword Tracker

If you're stuck solving a crossword puzzle, don't give up. Start by looking up a clue that will help you find other answers. If it ends up being a word you don't know, take a minute and look at other clues that point to it and give your brain a chance to soak in the new knowledge.