Crossword Puzzle

The modern crossword puzzle was created by a journalist named Arthur Wynne. He published the first "word-cross" puzzle in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913. His diamond-shaped grid of intersecting squares quickly became a daily feature in the paper.

American crosswords generally feature grids where every square is checked (part of both an across and a down word). British cryptic crosswords often use a grid with more black squares, where words intersect less frequently. Additionally, British puzzles use "cryptic" clues that involve complex wordplay, anagrams, and riddles.

The New York Times is globally renowned for its daily crossword puzzle. The puzzle is edited by Will Shortz, who started his tenure in 1993. The Times puzzles increase in difficulty throughout the week, with the largest and hardest puzzle published on Sunday.

In an American-style crossword, the black squares serve to separate words and allow the clues to interlock vertically and horizontally. By breaking up the grid, constructors can prevent arbitrary strings of letters from becoming required words. The grid is usually designed with rotational symmetry.