How to Play Stan Newman's Easy Crossword
FIRST OF ALL
Always look at the puzzle title before doing anything else. The title is there to give you a hint about the theme of the puzzle—the subject matter or the common element among the longest answers. When you have filled in the first long answer, take another look at the title; you should be able to make a guess now as to what the theme is. Once you have correctly identified the theme, the remaining theme answers should be much easier for you to puzzle out.
WHERE TO START INSIDE THE PUZZLE
The first answer you should write in a crossword should always be one whose clue you are absolutely sure of. This may be the very first clue in the puzzle (1 Across), but crossword authors and editors don’t automatically make the first clue the easiest one. Of course, people’s vocabulary and knowledge differ anyway. But remember that any of Stan’s Easy Crosswords will have quite a few clues that you’ll know the answers to right away. So review the clue list carefully until you find one that you have no doubt is correct, and fill that one in first.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
The clues to look at next are the ones that cross any of the answers that you’ve already filled in. It’s much easier to think of the answer once you have one or more extra hints from the letters in those crossing words.
KEEPING YOUR TRIP SMOOTH
Your solving will be smoother and easier if you are able to concentrate on one area of the puzzle at a time, with each new answer you write connected to answers you’ve already filled in. If you’re unable to fill in any answers in the area you’re working in, look for another clue you’re sure of elsewhere in the crossword and begin the process again.
FINISHING THE PUZZLE
- If you’ve written in all the answers that you can and some blank squares still remain, here are three proven ways to get you to the finish line:
- Take a short break, and return to the puzzle in a few minutes. Many people find that this break gives them a “fresh look” at it, and they’re able to come up with answers that didn’t occur to them before.
- It’s possible that you have one or more incorrect answers filled in. So try erasing or deleting one or more answers that you may be “less than sure” of, and take another look at the area with the answers you’ve just removed.
- It’s completely OK to “get help” in any way you like. By using the Check button to verify a particular letter or word, or even the entire puzzle. Or, for a little more help, use the Reveal button to fill in for you a letter, word, or the entire puzzle. It’s also OK to use an Internet search or an online or paper dictionary. Whichever of these ways you choose, part of the educational benefits of crossword solving come from completing each puzzle you do anyway that you can.
So good luck with Stan’s Easy Crosswords, and have fun!
About Stan Newman's Easy Crossword
If you are looking for a quick, free, easy online crossword, you've come to the right place! Enjoy honing your skills with this free daily crossword edited by Stan Newman, America’s foremost expert in fine-tuning crosswords, to give you the gentlest challenge to be found anywhere.
In fact, Stan’s Easy Crosswords are widely acknowledged by crossword fans and puzzle experts nationwide as the country’s easiest crosswords for grownups.
Each of Stan’s Easy Crosswords have an easy-to-understand theme (with a title to give you a hint as to what the theme is), all-easy answers, all-easy clues, and hardly any trivia at all. That’s what makes them great for beginners, or for adults to do together with younger people, or for anyone looking for a quick and satisfying mental escape.
But don’t take our word for it. Here’s a quick-and-easy way to prove it for yourself. And you don’t even have to start filling in the answers! Check out today’s Easy Crossword by merely scrolling through the list of Across and Down clues.
You’re going to find many clues that you’ll know the answers to right away! Here are a few examples from actual Easy Crosswords:
- Tic-tac-__ (3 letters)
- Home for honeybees (4 letters)
- Perform a tune (4 letters)
- Writing implements (4 letters)
Of course, the more answers you fill in, with all the hints to the answers going in the other direction, the easier the puzzle becomes for you.
And, if you prefer working crosswords on paper rather than on a screen, you’ll appreciate being able to select your choice of print formats: for right-handers or left-handers (all on one page) or with large print for easiest reading. Plus, with the Ink Saver option, you’ll be able to control how dark you prefer the black squares to be.
There’s a new Easy Crossword waiting for you every day of the year. So treat yourself to one or more of Stan’s Easy Crosswords right now.
