clue

[ kloo ]
See synonyms for clue on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. anything that serves to guide or direct in the solution of a problem, mystery, etc.: It is up to Aurora to piece together the clues and solve the murder before she becomes the next victim.

  2. a phrase or word provided as a hint to help find an answer or response in a crossword puzzle, on a game show, etc.: The celebrity editor's name was featured as a clue on the long-running quiz show.

  1. an insight into or knowledge about something: As a kid from the suburbs, Patrick has lived a sheltered life and doesn't have a clue how to survive on his own.

verb (used with object),clued, clu·ing.
  1. to direct or point out by a clue.

  2. to help find (an answer in a puzzle or quiz) by providing a clue: The four-letter “nose” was clued as “characteristic smell of wine.”

Verb Phrases
  1. clue in,

    • to provide with useful or reliable information: Clue us in on how these forms are to be filled out.

    • to make familiar or aware: Has she been clued in about the rules of this office?

Origin of clue

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; variant spelling of clew

Other words for clue

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use clue in a sentence

  • Lowell surveyed the scene while Plenty Buffalo and the interpreter searched the prairie for more clues.

    Mystery Ranch | Arthur Chapman
  • We know not if she be alive or dead, although thousands upon thousands of dollars have been spent in following uncertain clues.

    They Looked and Loved | Mrs. Alex McVeigh Miller
  • Margaret regarded me with that neutral expression behind which she was accustomed to wait for clues.

    The New Machiavelli | Herbert George Wells
  • In fact, his own trouble now was that too many mistakes had been made, too many clues had been left lying around.

    The Winning Clue | James Hay, Jr.
  • I once knew a man who gave away twenty dollars daily on clues from the day's news.

    Average Jones | Samuel Hopkins Adams

British Dictionary definitions for clue

clue

/ (kluː) /


noun
  1. something that helps to solve a problem or unravel a mystery

  2. not to have a clue

    • to be completely baffled

    • to be completely ignorant or incompetent

verbclues, cluing or clued
  1. (tr; usually foll by in or up) to provide with helpful information

noun, verb
  1. a variant spelling of clew

Origin of clue

1
C15: variant of clew

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012