Cryptic Crossword Solver

How to Use the Cryptic Crossword Solver

Mode 1 — Clue Analyzer

Paste a complete cryptic clue into the analyzer. It scans the clue for known indicator words and attempts to identify the clue type (anagram, hidden word, reversal, homophone, container, or deletion). It then suggests which part of the clue is the definition and which part is the wordplay. If the clue is an anagram and you provide the answer length, it will attempt to rearrange the fodder letters to find matching words.

Mode 2 — Pattern Search

If you have some crossing letters from the grid, enter them as a pattern using ? for unknowns. For example, ?A?E? finds all 5-letter words with A in position 2 and E in position 4. This mode searches our database of over 19,000 words and works identically to our Crossword Solver.

Mode 3 — Anagram Finder

Once you have identified the fodder letters in a cryptic clue, enter them here to find all valid anagrams. Unlike our general Anagram Solver, this mode finds only exact anagrams (words using all the input letters exactly once), which is what cryptic clue anagram wordplay requires.

Understanding Cryptic Clue Types

Every cryptic clue contains two elements: a definition (synonym of the answer) and wordplay (instructions for building the answer). The definition is almost always at the very beginning or very end of the clue. Here are the main clue types:

Anagram Clues

An indicator word signals that nearby letters should be rearranged. The indicator suggests disorder or change (broken, wild, crazy, mixed). The fodder provides the letters to rearrange.

Example: "Broken pots make a vessel (4)"
Indicator: broken | Fodder: pots | Definition: vessel | Answer: STOP

Hidden Word Clues

The answer is literally hidden within the words of the clue. Indicators include "in," "part of," "some," "held by."

Example: "Some mENUSed about it (4)"
Hidden in: m-ENUS-ed | Definition: about it | Answer: ENUS... better example: "SUSHIp" → USHI

Double Definition Clues

The clue contains two separate definitions for the same word, with no wordplay element. These are often the shortest clues.

Example: "Flower current (6)"
Definition 1: Flower (something that flows) | Definition 2: current | Answer: STREAM

Charade Clues

The answer is built by chaining smaller words or abbreviations together. There may be no explicit indicator — the components just follow each other.

Example: "Prohibition on line for the web (6)"
BAN + LINE... wait: BAN (prohibition) + D (?) — actually: Answer: ONLINE: ON + LINE

Reversal Clues

A word or phrase is spelled backward to give the answer. Indicators suggest going back: "returning," "reflected," "going up" (in down clues).

Container Clues

One word goes inside another. Indicators like "around," "outside," "holding," "swallowing" signal the outer word; "in," "inside," "entering" signal the inner word.

Deletion Clues

A letter or letters are removed from a word: "headless" (remove first letter), "endless" (remove last), "heartless" (remove middle). The remaining letters form the answer or part of it.

Homophone Clues

The answer sounds like another word. Indicators include "we hear," "sounds like," "reportedly," "on the radio," "aloud."

Common Cryptic Abbreviations

Cryptic clues frequently use abbreviations as building blocks. Knowing these gives you a major advantage:

Step-by-Step: How to Solve Any Cryptic Clue

Step 1 — Find the Definition

The definition is almost always the first word(s) or the last word(s) of the clue. Read the clue and ask: which end could be a synonym of a single word? The definition should make sense on its own as a description of the answer.

Step 2 — Identify the Indicator Word

Scan the middle of the clue for indicator words. These signal what type of wordplay is being used. "Broken" suggests an anagram. "We hear" suggests a homophone. "In" might signal a hidden word. Our Clue Analyzer automates this step.

Step 3 — Separate Wordplay from Definition

Once you find the indicator, everything on the definition side is the definition, and everything on the other side (plus the indicator) is the wordplay. There should be no overlap — each word in the clue belongs to either the definition or the wordplay, never both.

Step 4 — Apply the Wordplay Technique

Follow the wordplay instructions: rearrange letters for anagrams, look for hidden sequences, reverse words, combine abbreviations for charades, or nest words for containers. Use our solver tools to check your work.

Step 5 — Verify the Answer Fits Both Parts

The correct answer must satisfy both the definition AND the wordplay. If a word matches the wordplay but is not a synonym of the definition (or vice versa), keep looking. This double-checking is what makes cryptic crosswords fair — there is only one answer that works for both.

About This Cryptic Crossword Solver

This tool was built by the team behind Minute Cryptic — a daily cryptic crossword game played by thousands of puzzle enthusiasts. Our Clue Analyzer draws on a database of over 200 known indicator words across seven clue types, trained against hundreds of real cryptic clues. While no automated tool can solve every cryptic clue (the beauty of cryptics is their creative ambiguity), our analyzer identifies the most likely clue type and highlights key structural elements to give you a head start.

The Pattern Search and Anagram Finder modes use a combined database of over 19,000 English words. All processing happens in your browser — no data is sent to any server, and your clues remain private. Whether you are a beginner learning to recognize indicator words or an experienced solver looking for a quick letter-pattern check, this tool saves you time without taking away the satisfaction of solving. For daily practice with explained solutions, try our Daily Cryptic Clue or play a full round of Daily Crypticle.