As crossword stans, we know that crossword puzzles are great way to challenge your vocabulary and problem-solving skills—and turns out that better understanding the clues is your ticket to solving them fast. Here's a cheat sheet for reading and grasping crossword clues.

✔️ Pay Attention To Tense

Crossword answers will always follow the same tense as the clue. So be sure to pay attention to whether the clue is in past, present, or future tense. Your answers depend on it. 

Here's an example from the February 7 level of Universal Crossword: 

Clue: Intended

Answer: MEANT

✔️ Mind Plurals and Singulars

Keeping an eye out for hints at plurality is another key piece of the puzzle (see what we did there?). Hints like "many," "several," or simply adding an S to the clue's subject are dead giveaways.  

The February 13 level of The Modern Crossword demonstrates this well:

Clue: Some short skirts

Answer: MINIS 

✔️ Take Note of Parts of Speech

Crossword clues often challenge players by using words with multiple meanings or changing a word's part of speech. If a crossword clue hints at a person, place, or thing, the answer will be a noun. If it hints at an action word, the answer will be a verb.

Check out Universal Crossword's January 26 level for what we mean:

Clue: Actress Menzel of “Wicked”

Answer: ADINA

And this one from January 24: 

Clue: Does some basic math

Answer: ADDS

✔️ What Are Question Mark Clues?

While question marks indicate a straightforward inquiry for the rest of the world, seasoned puzzlers will tell you crossword clues with question marks often indicate wordplay or a pun. You'll have to put your thinking cap on for these clues and expect the unexpected—double meanings and clever twists are the name of the game. 

The February 6 Universal Crossword level serves up a playful example: 

Clue: Hit game?

Answer: BATTLESHIP

✔️ Understand Clues Ending in "Say"

If your crossword puzzle clue ends in "say," this typically indicates that the answer belongs to a broader category. Before you pencil in 31-Across, keep in mind that clues that end in "say" aren’t always one-to-one synonyms—multiple answers may fit the definition and interpretations may be broad. 

We got a kick out of this clue in the February 1 level of Universal Crossword: 

Clue: Puff on a joint, say

Answer: SMOKEGRASS

And this one from January 27, which may make you LOL: 

Clue: Passed Go and collected $400, say

Answer: CHEATED