Answer
Cryptic Definition Clues
cryptic definition clues are single playful definitions with no wordplay — the question-mark clues, and the hardest type to solve mechanically.
The short answer
A cryptic definition is one definition, deliberately misleading, almost always ending in a question mark. There is no wordplay to verify — just the penny-drop when you read the clue the intended way. They are the hardest clue type for software and the most satisfying for humans.
Misdirection without machinery
The traditional example is the riddle-clue "A wicked thing (6)" for CANDLE — the riddle's sense being that a candle is "a wicked thing" to leave burning (a wick, burning). The clue is a straight definition wearing a disguise: "wicked" is read as evil, but the answer needs "wicked" as in a burning wick. No letters are moved, hidden, or reversed — the entire puzzle lives in the alternate reading of one word.
Why "?" is the contract
The question mark is the setter's honest warning: "this clue is not fully fair as a straight definition; you must bend the reading." Experienced solvers scan for "?" and file those clues for last, because they yield to playfulness rather than method — though the cryptic solver will still propose candidates from the crossing pattern via the pattern finder, labeled as low-confidence without wordplay verification.
Lateral-thinking entry points
Three reliable angles: reread every adjective as its less common sense; reread the clue as a riddle asked by a literal-minded child; and consider the grid entry's theme if the puzzle has one. Cryptic definitions cluster in themed puzzles, where the theme itself is the missing context.
A second worked example, end to end
Clue: "It can follow you home? (5)" — question mark present, so expect a bent reading. "Follow you home" — what follows you home? A SHADOW (5 letters? no, 6). Try: STALK... The technique for attacking these: enumerate the surface scenario literally (things that follow you home: pet, shadow, stray, tailgater), then check each against the enumeration and crossings. Cryptic definitions yield to scenario-listing, not letter mechanics — which is why they are the clue type where crossings matter most: pin three letters and the joke usually collapses into place.
FAQ
What is a cryptic definition clue?
A single, deliberately misleading definition of the answer with no wordplay component, conventionally marked with a question mark. Solving requires finding the alternate reading, not manipulating letters.
Why are cryptic definitions hard for computers?
There is no wordplay to verify programmatically. The answer is validated only by a semantic re-interpretation of the clue, which is why solvers label these parses low-confidence.
How can I get better at cryptic definitions?
Read riddles, learn the alternate senses of common words (wick, flower as river, fall as autumn), and expect the setter to be punning rather than lying.