- 1). Understand how cryptic crossword clues are worded. Unlike regular crosswords, in which a clue is simply a type of definition for the answer (e.g., "President in the 1990s" for the seven-letter answer "C-L-I-N-T-O-N"), cryptic clues have both a definition and a way of finding that definition. One end (it can be one word or more) is always the definition, and the other is the way of getting it. You are never told which end is which.
- 2). Test to see if it's an anagram. Anagrams are common in cryptic clues. They are almost always hinted at by means of a verb that suggests something needing to be arranged. The arranged word (the anagram) will spell out the definition. For example, "Washer setting siren off." The word "off" is telling the solver that a word or words next to it are not right, therefore must be unscrambled. The word next to "off" is "siren." Unscramble "siren" and you get "rinse," which, of course, is a "washer setting."
- 3). Look for the clue inside. Sometimes a clue will have the definition literally spelled across two or more words within it. Like with anagrams, a word in the clue will suggest that this is the case. For example, "He meets his match halfway in living room." The word "halfway" is telling you to look halfway into "living room." As you can see, the word "groom" can be found using the end of "living" and the beginning of "room," thus yielding the definition of "He meets his match."
- 4). Look at punctuation. Cryptics that employ either question marks or exclamation points are a little different. For example, the clue "Furniture that comes with a laugh track?" The question mark means that the definition is a play on words. These are often best solved by trying to think outside the box, as they say. What is a laugh? A "HA." If you combine "HA" with track, you get "hatrack," a piece of furniture.
- 5). Think about double definitions. These are fairly simple, actually, but it might take some thinking to get them. These clues use the same word for both parts of the clue; for example, a clue that reads: "A reindeer that likes to run short distances" could be answered "Dasher."
- 6). Look for sound-alikes. If you see any word in the clue that suggests speaking or hearing, you might be looking for a definition of one part of the clue that sounds like another part. For instance, "Royalty leaves marks, we hear" could be answered "prince." "Prince" is royalty that sounds like "prints," which can mean to leave marks.
- 7). See if there's a combination. A clue definition is sometimes arrived at by combining two other words that are hinted at in the clue. For example, "Fish in pop singer's headlights" could be "stingray." Sting is the name of a pop singer, ray is a headlight beam.
- 8). Check for reversals. If something in the clue suggests going backward, the definition might be arrived at by turning another definition around. For example, "Angry in reverse levy" could lead to "mad" (which is "dam" reversed).
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