The Crossword Blog

Tips, strategies, word history, and everything crosswords. Updated weekly.

Strategy

How to Solve Crosswords 40% Faster: The Corner Method

Most solvers work left-to-right, top-to-bottom. But expert cruciverbalists use a radically different approach — one that fills the grid in a fraction of the time. We break down the corner-anchoring strategy used by the top 1% of solvers.

James Whitfield · February 12, 2026 · 8 min read
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Cryptic

Cryptic Clues Decoded: All 9 Types with Examples

Anagrams, double definitions, reversals, hidden words — cryptic crosswords play by their own rules. This guide decodes each clue type with clear examples and practice clues.

Cryptic 12 min
Strategy

Pen vs. Pencil: Why the Best Solvers Use Both

The great pen-vs-pencil debate has raged in crossword circles for decades. Here's what the data says — and the surprising reason top solvers switch mid-solve.

Strategy 4 min
Interviews

Inside the Mind of a Crossword Constructor: Q&A

We sat down with a professional puzzle constructor to learn how a crossword goes from idea to finished grid — the software, the revisions, and the joy of the "aha" moment.

Interview 9 min
Word History

The Crossword Puzzle: A 110-Year History

From Arthur Wynne's 1913 "word-cross" in the New York World to today's digital grids — the complete story of how crosswords conquered the world.

History 11 min