The Most Popular Crossword Puzzle, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the crossword puzzle you think is the most popular!
Updated on Apr 23, 2024 06:58
Crossword puzzles have long been a staple of morning routines and coffee breaks, offering a blend of challenge, education, and entertainment. Various types cater to different skill levels and interests, creating a rich tapestry of choices. Sometimes, it can be difficult to sift through the multitude to find the best one that suits your puzzle-solving style.
That's where the importance of a live ranking system comes into play. By casting your vote, you contribute to a real-time hierarchy of popular puzzles, reflecting the preferences and recommendations of a broad community. This constantly updated ranking ensures that the best rise to the top, guided by the collective expertise of fellow enthusiasts.
What Is the Most Popular Crossword Puzzle?
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195votes
The New York Times Crossword
Will ShortzThe New York Times Crossword - widely considered the gold standard of crossword puzzles, featuring challenging clues and themes.The New York Times Crossword is one of the most popular crossword puzzles. It is featured in The New York Times newspaper and online platform.- Publication: The New York Times
- Availability: Print and online
- Frequency: Daily
- Size: 15x15 or 21x21 squares
- Difficulty: Varies from easy to hard
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246votesThe Guardian Crossword is a popular British crossword, known for its witty and cryptic clues.The Guardian Crossword is a popular crossword puzzle featured in The Guardian newspaper. It is known for its challenging and intellectually stimulating clues that test the solver's general knowledge and wordplay abilities.
- Publication: The Guardian newspaper
- Difficulty Level: Challenging
- Clue Types: General knowledge and wordplay
- Grid Size: 15x15 or 13x13
- Frequency: Daily
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332votes
The LA Times Crossword
Rich NorrisThe LA Times Crossword is a daily crossword puzzle with a mix of easy and challenging clues.The LA Times Crossword is a popular crossword puzzle featured in the Los Angeles Times newspaper. It is widely known for its challenging and entertaining nature, attracting crossword enthusiasts from all over.- Frequency: Daily
- Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
- Size: 15x15 grid
- Publication Date: Since 1942
- Clues: Clever and well-crafted
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417votes
The Wall Street Journal Crossword
Mike ShenkThe Wall Street Journal Crossword is a challenging crossword with a finance and business theme.The Wall Street Journal Crossword is a popular crossword puzzle that is featured in the Wall Street Journal newspaper. It is known for its challenging and engaging clues, which cover a wide range of topics including current events, business, finance, and popular culture. The crossword is designed to be enjoyable for both novice and experienced puzzlers alike.- Publication: Wall Street Journal
- Difficulty: Moderate-Hard
- Size: 15x15 grid
- Frequency: Daily
- Theme: Varies by puzzle
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517votes
USA Today Crossword
Erik AgardUSA Today Crossword is a popular puzzle with a mix of easy and challenging clues, geared towards a younger audience.The USA Today Crossword is a popular crossword puzzle that is featured in the USA Today newspaper and online. It is known for its modern and accessible style, appealing to a wide range of puzzle enthusiasts. The puzzles are designed to be fun and engaging, with a focus on contemporary themes and pop culture references. The creator of the USA Today Crossword is Erik Agard, a talented puzzle constructor.- Publication: USA Today
- Accessibility: Modern and accessible style
- Theme: Contemporary themes and pop culture references
- Audience: Wide range of puzzle enthusiasts
- Platforms: Print and online
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69votes
The Washington Post Crossword
The Washington PostThe Washington Post Crossword is a daily crossword with a mix of easy and challenging clues.The Washington Post Crossword is a popular crossword puzzle published by The Washington Post, a leading American newspaper. It offers a challenging and engaging experience for crossword enthusiasts of all skill levels.- Publication Frequency: Daily
- Size: 15x15 or 21x21 grid
- Difficulty Level: Moderate to difficult
- Clues: Clever and varied
- Theme: Present in most puzzles
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79votesThe Daily Telegraph Crossword is a challenging British crossword with a reputation for being difficult.The Daily Telegraph Crossword is a popular crossword puzzle that is featured in 'The Daily Telegraph', a British newspaper. It is known for its challenging clues and variety of puzzle sizes.
- Publication: The Daily Telegraph
- Difficulty Level: Challenging
- Puzzle Sizes: Varied
- Grid Shape: Rectangular
- Publication Frequency: Daily
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84votesThe Independent Crossword - another challenging British crossword, known for its cryptic clues.The Independent Crossword is a popular crossword puzzle published in The Independent newspaper in the United Kingdom. It is a challenging and well-respected crossword that has gained a dedicated following among crossword enthusiasts.
- Difficulty Level: Moderate to Challenging
- Grid Size: 15x15 squares
- Frequency: Daily
- Clue Style: Cryptic Clues
- Publication Format: Print and Online
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93votesThe Times Crossword is a challenging British crossword, known for its cryptic and often humorous clues.The Times Crossword is a popular British crossword puzzle featured in The Times newspaper.
- Frequency: The puzzle is published daily, consisting of a cryptic crossword on weekdays and a concise crossword on weekends.
- Difficulty Level: The crossword is known for its challenging nature, requiring a good vocabulary, knowledge of wordplay techniques, and often a good understanding of British culture.
- Grid Size: The crossword grid usually has 15x15 squares.
- Grid Layout: The grid follows a standard symmetrical layout with black squares defining the word boundaries.
- Clue Types: The crossword includes a mix of cryptic clues, standard definition (straight) clues, and occasionally anagrams or other wordplay varieties.
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102votesThe Crossword Solver is not a specific puzzle, but a popular website and app used by crossword enthusiasts to solve puzzles and find solutions.The Crossword Solver is a popular online tool used for solving crossword puzzles. It provides assistance in finding answers to crossword clues.
- Online Platform: Web-based
- Answer Database: Vast collection of crossword solutions
- User Input: Allows entering crossword clue with various options
- Search Algorithm: Utilizes advanced search algorithms to find potential answers
- Anagram Solver: Ability to solve anagrams
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Discussion
Ranking factors for popular crossword puzzle
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Difficulty levelThe challenge and complexity of the clues and the puzzle's grid should be appropriate for the intended audience. Generally, puzzles can be categorized as easy, medium, or hard, with some even designed for expert solvers.
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Quality of cluesThe clues should be well-crafted, accurate, and engaging. A mix of clever wordplay, interesting facts, and precise definitions makes for a more enjoyable solving experience.
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Themed puzzlesPopular crossword puzzles often have themes, where groups of answers are interconnected, sometimes with a central reveal. A strong theme that is executed well can make a puzzle stand out.
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Grid designThe layout of the puzzle grid should be visually appealing and well-constructed. The best crosswords feature a balance of short and long words, with minimal reliance on obscure entries or excessive crossword-ese.
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VarietyPuzzles that offer a diverse range of clues from different categories (e.g., history, literature, pop culture, sports, science, etc.) can appeal to a broader audience and keep solvers engaged.
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ConsistencyIf a crossword series or publication regularly provides puzzles that meet these criteria, it's more likely to build a loyal following.
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AccessibilityPopularity can also depend on how easy it is for people to access the crossword puzzle. For example, puzzles published in daily newspapers, in popular magazines, or on user-friendly websites tend to reach more solvers.
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Creator reputationSome crossword creators have a strong reputation for creating high-quality puzzles. A puzzle by a well-known constructor may attract more interest and players.
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Reviews and recommendationsA crossword puzzle's popularity may also be influenced by reviews, word of mouth, and recommendations from the crossword-solving community, including forums, blogs, and social media.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular crossword puzzle. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or Crossword is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 3193 views
- 227 votes
- 10 ranked items
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Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each Crossword once every 24 hours. The rank of each Crossword is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular crossword puzzle
Crossword puzzles have been a popular pastime for over a century, challenging puzzlers to fill in a grid of intersecting words using clues that range from simple to obscure. With their combination of language skills and mental agility, it's no wonder that crossword puzzles have become a beloved tradition for many. But what is the most popular crossword puzzle out there? With so many different publications, themes, and difficulty levels, the answer can vary depending on who you ask. However, by examining data from various sources, we can get a clearer picture of which crossword puzzles are the most popular among puzzlers of all ages and skill levels.
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