Figurative language crossword puzzles on similes, metaphors, idioms, and personification.
Crossword clues used in figurative language puzzles, with answers and links to play.
“A mild or indirect word used in place of a harsh or blunt one”
EUPHEMISM (9)
“A brief reference to a person, event, or work of literature outside the text”
ALLUSION (8)
“A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens”
IRONY (5)
“An author's choice of words and phrasing”
DICTION (7)
“The emotional or cultural meaning a word carries beyond its dictionary definition”
CONNOTATION (11)
“A phrase that combines two contradictory terms, like jumbo shrimp”
OXYMORON (8)
“A scene that interrupts the present action to show an earlier event”
FLASHBACK (9)
“A statement that seems to contradict itself but may reveal a truth”
PARADOX (7)
“A comparison that explains one thing by relating it to something more familiar”
ANALOGY (7)
“The exact, literal dictionary definition of a word”
DENOTATION (10)
“Vivid language that creates pictures in the reader's mind through sensory detail”
IMAGERY (7)
“The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words”
ASSONANCE (9)
“The use of objects or images to represent larger ideas or themes”
SYMBOLISM (9)
“The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of nearby words”
CONSONANCE (10)
“A comparison between two unlike things without using like or as”
METAPHOR (8)
“To point out how two things are alike”
COMPARE (7)
“Words that end with the same sound, like cat and hat”
RHYME (5)
“An object or image that represents a deeper idea”
SYMBOL (6)
“Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses”
IMAGERY (7)
“A joke that plays on multiple meanings of a word or similar sounding words”
PUN (3)
“A comparison between two unlike things using the word like or as”
SIMILE (6)
“A word that imitates the sound it describes, like buzz or splash”
ONOMATOPOEIA (12)
“A short traditional saying that gives advice or expresses a truth”
PROVERB (7)
“The overall feeling a piece of writing creates for the reader”
MOOD (4)
“The author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice”
TONE (4)
“An extreme exaggeration not meant to be taken literally”
HYPERBOLE (9)
“Using the same word or phrase more than once for emphasis”
REPETITION (10)
“The repetition of beginning consonant sounds in a series of words”
ALLITERATION (12)
“To give human qualities to an animal, object, or idea”
PERSONIFY (9)