<em>The Atlantic Daily</em>: Tips from Our Crossword Pro

Introducing The Atlantic’s Sunday Crossword: We’re expanding our puzzles to the weekend, and launching a new feature so that you can play with friends. Start playing.

Starting today, our daily crossword will spill into your weekend: Sunday puzzles are here. We’re also launching new social features that’ll let you solve with your loved ones, even if you’re apart. As I explain on our site today:  

During the pandemic, people all over the world have been dealing with new and hybrid varieties of boredom, loneliness, and anxiety. Crosswords have always been a great solution to boredom, and a pleasant way to pass the time. And I hope that by introducing this new social solving feature, crosswords can play a small part in making us all feel a little closer together.

If you’re feeling inspired to join our Atlantic puzzling community, welcome. I wrote out some tips for beginners below. Seasoned players, there’s a little something for you, too: Scroll for some advanced puzzles to try.

Tips for Beginners

1. The clue will always be in the same part of speech as the answer. If it’s a noun, you’re looking for another noun. If it’s a verb, you’re looking for another verb.

Clue: Went haywire

Answer: RAN AMOK

2. If a clue is plural, you can assume the answer will be too.

Clue: Seats around a table

Answer: CHAIRS

3.  The same goes for verb tenses. Past-tense clues call for past-tense answers.

Clue: Engrossed

Answer: RIVETED

Bonus: This can be a helpful way to get some letters without knowing the answer. If a clue ends in “-ing,” see if penciling in -ING at the end of the entry can help you solve the perpendicular clues.

4. If the clue features an abbreviation, so will the answer.

Clue: Transportation group in NYC

Answer: MTA

5. A question mark at the end of the clue means there’s going to be some wordplay involved.

Clue: Attire for a poser?

Answer: YOGA PANTS  

6. Don’t necessarily start at 1-Across. Scan the puzzle for answers you know (called “gimmes”) and three-letter words (which have the fewest letter-combination possibilities).