The Complete Crossword Glossary: 40+ Terms Every Solver Needs

Acrostic noun

A word puzzle where the first letters of each answer (reading down) spell out a hidden word or phrase. Related to, but distinct from, a standard crossword. The New York Times Magazine publishes a regular acrostic alongside its crossword.

Across noun / adjective

Entries that read horizontally from left to right. Every square is part of at least one Across entry (unless it's a black square). Printed puzzles list Across and Down clues in numbered columns.

Black Square noun

A filled, dark square in the grid that separates entries from each other. Also called a "block." American crosswords are typically 180-degree rotationally symmetric — the pattern of black squares looks identical when the grid is rotated 180 degrees. British cryptic grids use a different convention.

Example: The NYT limits black squares to no more than 1/6 of a 15x15 grid (38 squares max).

Checked Square noun

A white square that is part of both an Across and a Down entry. In American crosswords, virtually all white squares are checked (they appear in both an Across and a Down answer), which gives solvers crossing letters to work with. In British cryptics, many squares are "unchecked" or "unches."

Cheater Square noun

A black square that could be removed without violating symmetry or reducing word count — but is placed to make construction easier. Despite the pejorative name, cheater squares are widely accepted. They often appear in corners or along edges. Also called a "helper square."

Constructor noun

The person who creates a crossword puzzle. Preferred term over "puzzle maker" or "author" in crossword communities. Professional constructors pitch puzzles to editors at publications; freelance constructors supply the vast majority of puzzles in major outlets.

Crosswordese noun

Words that appear frequently in crosswords but rarely in everyday speech — typically short words with convenient letter combinations. Examples: ETUI (small needlework case), ESNE (Anglo-Saxon serf), ORE, ARIA, ERNE (type of eagle), ALEE (on the sheltered side). Building a mental library of crosswordese dramatically accelerates solving speed.

Example: Seeing the clue "Sheltered, at sea" for a 4-letter answer, an experienced solver will immediately think ALEE without hesitation.

Cruciverbalist noun

Someone who creates or enthusiastically solves crossword puzzles. From Latin crux (cross) + verbum (word). A cruciverbalist is to crosswords what a cinephile is to film. The term is used with pride within the community.

Down noun / adjective

Entries that read vertically from top to bottom. Every numbered Down entry starts at the top of its column (in its particular run of white squares). Clue lists are divided into Across and Down sections.

Editor noun

The person at a publication who selects puzzles from constructors, edits them for quality and appropriateness, and writes or revises clues. The NYT crossword editor is arguably the most powerful role in American crosswords. Will Shortz has held the position since 1993, succeeding Eugene T. Maleska.

Fill noun / verb

The complete set of answers in a crossword grid (noun), or the act of entering letters into the grid (verb). "The fill on this puzzle is clean" means the answers are common, useful words rather than obscure crosswordese. "Good fill" is a mark of quality construction. Also used as a verb: "I filled in the top third easily."

Grid noun

The matrix of white and black squares that forms the crossword playing field. Standard American crossword grids are 15x15 for weekday puzzles, 21x21 for Sunday puzzles. Mini crosswords are typically 5x5.

Keystone Entry noun

A long answer that, once solved, makes a large section of the grid immediately accessible because it crosses many other entries. In the Corner Method, identifying keystone entries is a primary strategy. Typically 7+ letters long and spanning a significant portion of a row or column.

Lattice noun

The interlocking structure of a crossword grid where every (or nearly every) white square is part of both an Across and a Down entry. A dense lattice means more crossing letters and a more solvable puzzle. American crosswords have denser lattices than British cryptics.

Letter Count noun

The number of letters in an answer, often shown in parentheses after a clue in British crosswords. E.g., "Capital of France (5)" tells you the answer has five letters: PARIS. American crosswords omit letter counts, leaving solvers to count grid squares.

Natick noun

A crossing of two uncommon proper nouns where the shared letter cannot be inferred from either clue — leaving the solver with no way to determine the correct letter except by guessing. Named after a puzzle where the crossing of "NATICK" (a Massachusetts city) and an obscure proper noun left many solvers stuck. A "natick" is considered a significant flaw by the crossword community. Popularized by Rex Parker's crossword blog.

Example: If 14-Across is an obscure Japanese poet and 9-Down is a tiny African river, and they share one letter, the solver has no linguistic tools to determine it — that's a natick.

Number noun / verb

The number printed in the top-left corner of the first white square in each Across and Down entry. Clue lists refer to entries by their numbers (e.g., "14-Across"). Numbering proceeds left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

Pangram noun / adjective

A puzzle in which every letter of the alphabet appears at least once in the grid. Achieving a pangram while maintaining good fill is considered an impressive feat of construction. Some constructors aim for pangrams as a design constraint; others view the constraint as harmful to fill quality.

Rebus noun

A puzzle mechanic where a single grid square contains more than one letter, a number, or a symbol. The NYT uses rebus squares regularly, especially on Thursdays. In a rebus puzzle, a square might contain the letters "TH" or the word "AND" or a mathematical symbol. Rebus squares are marked with multiple characters in that single cell.

Example: In a rebus puzzle, one square might contain "STAR" — so the Across reading through it could be "RE[STAR]T" (RESTART) and the Down could be "[STAR]TER" (STARTER).

Reveal noun

In a themed puzzle, the answer that explains the theme — often a long entry that makes the puzzle's gimmick explicit. The reveal is typically placed at the end of the Across entries (bottom of the grid) or highlighted by its position. Cracking the reveal often unlocks several other theme entries at once.

Rotational Symmetry noun

The standard design rule for American crosswords: if you rotate the grid 180 degrees, the pattern of black squares is identical to the original. This creates an aesthetically balanced grid and is required by the NYT. Some experimental constructors use diagonal or mirror symmetry instead.

Stacks noun

Consecutive long entries running in the same direction with no black squares between them. A "triple stack" has three consecutive long Across entries with no intervening black squares. Stacks are highly desirable in themeless puzzles because they allow for long, lively fill, but they're extremely difficult to construct because every entry must cross valid Down answers.

Theme noun

The unifying concept in a themed puzzle. Theme entries are typically the longest Across answers and are connected by a shared wordplay pattern, pun structure, or conceptual link. Monday through Thursday NYT puzzles always have themes; Friday and Saturday puzzles are typically themeless. Sundays always have themes.

Unch (Unchecked Square) noun

A white square that appears in only one entry — either an Across or a Down, not both. Common in British cryptic crosswords, where a typical grid has alternating checked and unchecked squares. The solver must derive unchecked letters purely from the clue for that single entry. Very rare in American crosswords.

Wordplay noun

The linguistic trickery at the heart of crossword cluing. In cryptic crosswords, wordplay refers to the mechanical component of a clue that indicates the answer's letters (anagram, reversal, hidden word, etc.). In standard American crosswords, wordplay refers to puns, double meanings, misleading phrasings, and misdirective clues that make solving fun and challenging.