The simplest way to master them is by understanding that they fall into two categories - direct crossword clues and indirect crossword clues.

Look for Fill-in-the-Blanks: Scan for clues that include fill-in-the-blank phrases, which are typically easier to solve because they rely on common expressions or idioms. Sometimes you just need a break from work or other responsibilities in life. A crossword puzzle is the perfect tool for tuning out the world, even for just a few moments, and focusing your attention on something fun and rewarding that’s just for you. Our Medium difficulty crossword puzzles are designed to be challenging enough to keep you engaged, but easy enough to keep it fun. Improve Problem-Solving Skills Whether you’re trying a newspaper poster in print, solving a printable crossword puzzle, or testing yourself against a free online crossword puzzle, each of these word games works in the same basic way - you answer questions to make words. Many puzzle fans utilize this increasing challenge each Monday through Saturday to sharpen their solving skills.Just in case you prefer a more “level level” through the week, you’re invited to play one or more of these puzzles: Stan Newman’s Easy Crossword, The Daily medium Crossword, or Stan Newman's Hard Crossword – each with a fresh puzzle each day of the year from Stan’s Newsday archives, at the same level every day. There’s also Stan’s Sunday Crossword, with a different archive puzzle every Saturday and Sunday. One of Dan Feyer’s best pieces of advice is that you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you don’t know the answer to a crossword puzzle. 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. 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. 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 not quite sure of, and take another look at the area with the answers you’ve just removed.

Stan’s Sunday crossword is the largest of the week, at a Wednesday-or-so level, designed to go perfectly with a day of relaxation. Learn the Lingo: Familiarize yourself with crossword-specific terms and abbreviations commonly used in puzzles, such as "across" (A or AC) and "down" (D or DN). Wynne called his creation a Word-Cross Puzzle and it was inspired by a range of word puzzles. What made his contribution unique was the introduction of vertical and horizontal lines that gave people boxes to input letters.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. The first answer you should write in a crossword should ideally be one whose clue you are 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. So review the clue list carefully until you find one that you’re rather sure of, and fill that one in first. One way you can make your puzzles harder and develop your skills is by setting yourself a time limit for completing them. You could also set yourself a points total target.

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: 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 not be quite sure of, and take another look at the area with the answers you've just removed.Practice Regularly: Like any skill, solving crosswords improves with practice. Try to solve puzzles regularly to build your vocabulary and crossword-solving techniques. The world's largest brands turn to us when they need to create superior word, card and casual games or reach the millions of people that play those games. Stanley Newman is the editor of the nationally syndicated Newsday Crossword and the author/editor of over 150 books --