Reference
Cryptic Crossword Indicator Words
Indicators are the setter's tell — the word that announces what kind of trick is being played. Learn these and half the battle is over.
Anagram Indicators
Signal that nearby letters should be shuffled into the answer.
- mixed · broken · wild · mad
- shattered · rearranged · cooked
- strange · odd · peculiar
- rebuilt · reformed · untidy
- drunk · tipsy · sailing
Worked example: "Kitchen utensil, oddly grotty (5)" → odd letters of G-R-O-T-T-Y… check it in the cryptic crossword solver.
Hidden Word Indicators
The answer is hiding in plain sight inside the clue text.
- in part · partially · some
- held by · concealed in · inside
- bit of · fragment of · piece of
- buried in · nested in
Worked example: "Serpent found in thEATER lobby (5)" → hidden word spans the capitalised letters… verify it in the solver.
Reversal Indicators
- back · backwards · returning
- turned · spun · about
- rising (in down clues) · west/left
- over · flip
Charade & Linking Words
- on · with · by · and
- before · after · following
- consuming · taking in
- = · gives · produces
Container Indicators
- around · about · embracing
- outside · gripping · holding
- swallowing · covering
Double Definition Cues
No indicator at all — two definitions split by punctuation. The giveaway: a middle dot, dash, or comma with two parallel readings.
Homophone Indicators
- we hear · reportedly · they say
- audibly · heard · spoken
- over the air · in speech
Test a real clue in the cryptic crossword solver — it names the indicator before touching the answer.