Why One Crossword Clue Can Have Several Right Answers
If you look up a clue and see four possible answers, nothing is wrong. Constructors reuse the same short definitions across thousands of puzzles, and English usually has more than one word for a thing. The grid decides which one is right.
Step 1: count the squares
The number of empty squares is the strongest clue you have. American puzzles rarely print the length, so count the boxes before you search. In the solver, tap the number of squares and every answer of another length disappears.
Step 2: add the letters you know
Crossing answers fill in some squares for you. Even one letter in the right place can cut a list of ten candidates down to one. Type it into the matching square in the solver and leave the others empty.
Step 3: check the meaning
Each answer on a clue page sits next to the definition it comes from, so you can check that the word really fits the sense of the clue. A clue like "Sudden unforeseen crisis" has several answers of different lengths, each with the same meaning:
- Sudden unforeseen crisis → EMERGENCY, PINCH, EXIGENCY
- Temporary stay → VISIT, SOJOURN
- Rise rapidly → ZOOM, SURGE, SOAR
- Woman of refinement → LADY, MADAM, DAME
Step 4: write lightly
If two answers still fit, pencil in the one you like and look at the crossing clues. A wrong guess usually makes a crossing word impossible within a minute, and an eraser fixes it.