crossword

American  

[kraws-wurd, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˌwɜrd, ˈkrɒs- /

noun

crosswords plural

1. a crossword puzzle.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• crosswords
  plural

Etymology

Origin of crossword

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crossword crosswords

Some brain-teasing fun: What’s a three-letter word for a “Mother clucker”? Solve today’s crossword for some witty wordplay.

From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026

“Whereas if you only have a tiny fragment, it’s like doing a crossword puzzle. You have to argue, to research, and to reconstruct the entire object.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

"You could really see the opportunity -- not just for a crossword puzzle, but for a collection of games," he noted.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

Much like Wordle, the player gets to solve one cryptic crossword clue a day, the game becomes progressively harder as the week goes on.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

In Eugene Maleska crossword terminology, he's braw and pulchritudinous, while Will Shortz, current puzzle editor for The New York Times, might define him as a "wower," the clue being "Turns heads, in a way."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

"He loved to do crosswords, and he would be very keen for me to know certain words that you wouldn't otherwise have known," the musician recalls.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

Under the blankets, a few plastic bottles filled with hot water and power banks for her phone, on which she played crosswords.

From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026

The New York Times, now the best-known purveyor of crosswords, thought the puzzle beneath it, and didn’t offer one until 1941.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

Stephen Sondheim was so good at crosswords that he considered it cheating to use a pencil—or a pen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

I've been told that crosswords puzzles help fight the advance of Alzheimer's Disease, but that had nothing to do with my initiation.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris