A joint 2017 study by King's College London and the University of Exeter Medical School suggests people who play crossword puzzles are more likely to have a sharper brain in later life.

When solving a crossword puzzle, it's often helpful to start with the clues that are easiest to answer. Here are a few types of clues that you might want to consider starting with: Here is an example of a frequently asked question (FAQ) about crossword clues: Which clues should you start with?

DIY: How to Create a Crossword Puzzle for Students

Word Search Crosswords: Word search crosswords are a combination of a traditional crossword puzzle and a word search. The puzzle features a grid of letters, and the solver must find words in the grid and then fill in the answers in a separate crossword puzzle. Pay attention to the format: Different types of clues will have different formats. For example, some clues will ask for an abbreviation, a synonym, or an anagram. Knowing the format of the clue can help you determine what type of answer to look for. This is something you can do with our free online crossword puzzles because they give you a monthly points score. So, if you want to improve your skills then start one now and decide how many points you want to achieve this month! Are Crosswords Good For The Brain? Themed Crosswords: Themed crosswords are crossword puzzles that are centered around a particular theme, such as a specific subject or category. The clues and answers in a themed crossword all relate to the theme, making it a fun and educational way to learn about a particular topic.

For the love of your sanity, use a pencil. If you’re using physical paper instead of an online crossword app, use a pencil and eraser. Mistakes, misinterpretations, and confusion are likely to arise, even if you’re a seasoned pro. Make a first pass in the other direction, usually starting with 1 Down, solving for the most obvious clues first and making sure there aren’t discrepancies. Find some obvious clues, and make sure they fit together when written out. Despite the fact that female editors have been important to crossword construction for many years, there has been a distinct drop in female crossword editors and constructors in the Shortz era. To combat this, two different projects — Women of Letters and The Inkubator — seek to highlight female crossword creators. Word Crossy: Cheats for Word Crossy can be found with our crossword-solver tool. Imagine crosswords but with coin collection and competition. Fill-in-the-blank questions are typically easiest. Usually, you’ll see a common idiom, phrase, or pop culture reference that’s only missing one section. Keep in mind, though, that non-native English speakers might struggle with this because phrases can be so regional and colloquial; see this list of common idioms if you’re struggling.The crossword puzzle has its roots in the early 20th century. The first known crossword puzzle was published in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913. The puzzle was created by a man named Arthur Wynne, who called it a "Word-Cross." The puzzle was similar to today's crossword puzzles, with a grid of squares and clues given for each word, but the original "Word-Cross" was diamond-shaped, not square. These are just a few of the many different types of crossword puzzles available. No matter what type of crossword puzzle you choose, they are all a fun and challenging way to exercise your brain and improve your vocabulary.

Crossword puzzles are the perfect way to put your vocabulary skills and logical thinking to the test. They ask you to reach into your word bank, decipher clues, and build connections between letters. It can be hard to understand a crossword clue because crossword-writers are absolutely notorious for being cryptic. A good crossword player is typically a master riddle-solver, as one has to really think outside of the box to figure out some of these more difficult hints. Here are a few crossword-solving tips: Diagonal Crosswords: Diagonal crosswords are similar to standard crosswords, but the words in the puzzle run diagonally as well as horizontally and vertically. This adds an extra level of challenge to the puzzle. The book Two Across by Jeff Bartsch tells the story of a romance in which two brainy people communicate their love via clever crosswords. A puzzle by Jeremiah Farrell published in The New York Times on the day of the U.S. presidential election is a Shrodinger puzzle; 39 Across, “Lead story in tomorrow’s newspaper (!),” can be either BILL CLINTON ELECTED or BOB DOLE ELECTED, and the rest of the puzzle works either way.Famed lyricist Stephen Sondheim (of Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and A Little Night Music) introduces Americans to the British-style cryptic crossword in New York magazine. Read the clue carefully: Crossword clues can be written in a way that is meant to be misleading, so it's important to read the clue carefully and think about what it is really asking for. CodyCross: A fun app that’s not quite Scrabble or a crossword, CodyCross is an updated version of the classic word puzzle. See our special cheats for winning at CodyCross for help. Crossword puzzles are good for your brain’s health because they help improve your memory and reasoning skills. The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times puzzles are staples when people envision the icon of daily crossword puzzling.

One of Dan Feyer’s best pieces of advice is that you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you don’t know the answer to a crossword puzzle. In the following years, crossword puzzles grew in popularity and were eventually published in newspapers and magazines all over the world. Over time, the puzzles became more complex and challenging, and variations such as cryptic crosswords and themed crosswords were introduced. Interpreting crossword clues can be a bit of an art form, but there are a few strategies you can use to make it easier: Wordscapes: Another app that’s not completely simple crosswords but more of a mix, Wordscapes is a lot of fun and great for people who aren’t great spellers.USA Today Crossword: Besides free crosswords, USA Today also offers other games, like sudoku and mahjong. If you’re a teacher or a parent trying to learn how to create a crossword puzzle as an educational tool, it’s quite easy! And our games let you keep a monthly points score, so you can see how your performance is developing and challenge yourself to keep on improving. WSJ Crossword: The Wall Street Journal’s puzzles are, in their words, “America’s most elegant, adventurous, and addictive crosswords.” They’re frequently themed and can be quite difficult to figure out crossword solutions for. Depending on the difficulty and the specific newspaper editor, you might find cryptic crossword clues with weird traits like these: