Hard Crossword Puzzles

What to Expect

Tips for Hard Puzzles

• 1.Work the edges first — corner and border clues often have fewer crossing constraints
• 2.Look for theme connections — many hard puzzles have a unifying thread
• 3.If a clue seems too simple, you might be missing a layer of wordplay
• 4.Come back to it — sometimes fresh eyes solve what brute force can't