Cryptics for Experts

1.

  Love - 10 questions - 5 mins

So good they named it more than once

Ten cryptic clues leading to synonyms for 'love' from my thesaurus. For example:- The orient supports fifty-five holding nothing yields a score of zero in tennis (4) - fifty-five is LV, nothing is O, and the orient is E, so the answer is L-O-V-E

Average, 10 Qns, Lottie1001, Jan 01 23

Average
Lottie1001
Jan 01 23
142 plays

2.

  A Cryptic Acrostic from Minch - 10 questions - 4 mins

The answer to the first question provides the first letters of the other answers, making this an acrostic. The questions all involve various kinds of cryptic clues. Images are intended to suggest, not necessarily show, the answers.

Average, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Jan 18 23

Average
looney_tunes
Jan 18 23
102 plays

3.

  Yeah - 10 questions - 5 mins

'Affirmative' sounds like a slightly more robotic way of saying the more laid-back 'yeah'. Can you unscramble these ten cryptic clues to find more synonyms?

Average, 10 Qns, Lottie1001, Jan 25 23

Average
Lottie1001
Jan 25 23
55 plays

4.

  Song Titles - Cryptically Speaking - 10 questions - 5 mins

A cryptic-style quiz looking for famous songs titles. If you haven't done a cryptic before, perhaps give it a go... you have nothing to lose and there are explanations along the way if you are keen to get to know this style of quiz better :)

Tough, 10 Qns, heatherlois, Sep 06 22

Tough
heatherlois
Sep 06 22
145 plays

5.

  Add a Little Colour - 10 questions - 8 mins

Each answer is a person's name. The first part of each name is a colour- black (2), brown, green, (3), grey, red (2) or white. There is a clue in the question as to the last part of the name. The clue also gives a hint about the name that's required.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, minch, Jun 10 07

Very Difficult
minch
6260 plays

6.

  More Cryptic Crossword Clues - 10 questions - 4 mins

Here are some examples of the kind of clue you may encounter when solving a cryptic crossword puzzle.

Average, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Dec 31 22

Average
looney_tunes
Dec 31 22
47 plays

7.

  Cryptic Garments - 10 questions - 8 mins

The ten cryptic clues will lead you to the names of items of clothing.

Difficult, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Jun 20 04

Difficult
spanishliz
5082 plays

8.

  On my first try at cryptics... - 10 questions - 8 mins

...these answers came to me. They're totally mixed and there's no theme, but there's a method to the madness that you may one day find out!

Difficult, 10 Qns, WesleyCrusher, Dec 01 16

Difficult
WesleyCrusher
Dec 01 16
1176 plays

9.

  Cryptic First Names - 15 questions - 9 mins

Here are fifteen cryptic clues that will lead you to some fairly ordinary first names for boys and girls. The clues will tell you if the name is used for boys, girls or even both!

Very Difficult, 15 Qns, spanishliz, Jun 20 05

Very Difficult
spanishliz
916 plays

10.

  How to Crack a Cryptic Crossword - 10 questions - 8 mins

If you've ever looked at a cryptic crossword and wondered how to go about solving it, this quiz is for you. If you're an expert, you may find it too simple. It contains samples of the most common types of clue, and breaks it down into its components.

Difficult, 10 Qns, windrush, Sep 06 21

Difficult
windrush
Sep 06 21
134 plays

11.

  Cryptic Islands - 10 questions - 8 mins

Solve the cryptic clues to find the names of islands or island groups. A geographical hint is also given in the clues. Using the word "island", where appropriate, is optional.

Difficult, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Dec 30 03

Difficult
spanishliz
875 plays

12.

  Cryptic Dogs - 10 questions - 6 mins

If you have ever done a cryptic crossword, then you'll understand these clues. All the answers are one-word breeds of dogs.

Difficult, 10 Qns, crisw, Aug 11 02

Difficult
crisw
2330 plays

13.

  Cryptic Modes of Transportation - 10 questions - 8 mins

The ten cryptic clues will lead you to different types of transportation, mainly specific vehicles. A hint is given as to whether used on land, at sea or in the air. Answers are in the singular unless otherwise indicated.

Difficult, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Nov 03 05

Difficult
spanishliz
1184 plays

14.

  Cryptic Anagrams - 10 questions - 8 mins

My first attempt at a cryptics quiz. There is a clue in each question, and one (or more) of the words will be an anagram of the answer. Have fun!

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, eburge, Nov 10 08

Very Difficult
eburge
759 plays

15.

  Cryptic Crossword Clues #1 - 20 questions - 10 mins

Here are some of the cryptic crossword clues that I have made myself. Let me know how easy or difficult they are. Here's how to read the optional hints: 1(12,3) means that letter 1 is the same as letter 3 of question 12.

Tough, 20 Qns, jighm, Jul 08 09

Tough
jighm
241 plays

16.

  Cryptic Crossword Clues #2 - 20 questions - 11 mins

Another set of my own cryptic creations. Have fun. You can form the puzzle grid using the hints. (optional) How to read the hints: 2(12,5) means that the 2nd letter is the same as the 5th letter of clue 12.

Difficult, 20 Qns, jighm, Sep 24 09

Difficult
jighm
371 plays

17.

  Cryptic Anagrams 3 - 10 questions - 8 mins

Here we go! Part 3 in this series. There is a clue in each question, and one (or more) of the words will be an anagram of the answer.

Difficult, 10 Qns, eburge, Nov 18 08

Difficult
eburge
1225 plays

18.

  15 Question Cryptic Crossword Clues Quiz - 15 questions - 11 mins

Do you see a cryptic crossword, and wonder what it is all about? Hopefully, after taking my quiz, you will wonder no more. I will give an example of some of the clue types that are in a crossword setters armoury, and explain each type for you.

Very Difficult, 15 Qns, ozzz2002, Oct 14 09

Very Difficult
ozzz2002
898 plays

19.

  Cryptic Capitals - 2 - 20 questions - 10 mins

Solve the cryptic clues to identify some more European capital cities. English spellings are used throughout the quiz. Good luck!

Tough, 20 Qns, Lottie1001, Aug 27 08

Tough
Lottie1001
544 plays

20.

  Cryptic Clues to a Mystery - 10 questions - 8 mins

These cryptic clues will lead you to ten words that might be found in a mystery novel, or heard in a police drama on TV.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Jan 03 03

Very Difficult
spanishliz
1220 plays

21.

  Cryptic Crossword Clues #3 - 20 questions - 11 mins

Here is the third batch of Cryptics I made. Thanks for the great compliments. [2(3,5) in the hints means that the 2nd letter is the same as the fifth letter of clue 3. If you mess with this, it forms a crossword grid.]

Difficult, 20 Qns, jighm, Aug 07 09

Difficult
jighm
240 plays

22.

  Cryptic Crossword Clues #5 - 20 questions - 10 mins

20 more cryptics makes 100. Wow! Good luck and happy puzzling. How to read the hints: 1(2,3) means that the 1st letter of this clue is the same as the 3rd letter of clue #2. This forms the crossword grid.

Tough, 20 Qns, jighm, Mar 18 10

Tough
jighm
180 plays

23.

  Cryptic Crosswords 2 - Homonyms - 10 questions - 6 mins

Many cryptic crosswords have a homonym type clues. That is the answer is a word that has the same sound as another word, but an entirely different meaning. Homonyms are indicated by a words such as reportedly, we hear, etc. Here are some for you to try.

Tough, 10 Qns, minch, Feb 27 04

Tough
minch
781 plays

24.

  Cryptic Clues: World Capitals - 10 questions - 8 mins

Another cryptic quiz by me. Since these are so hard out of context of their grids, this one's a theme. All of the answers are capital cities of the world (so all definitions indicate that). You need only unravel the cryptic part.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, ensiform, Sep 22 02

Very Difficult
ensiform
899 plays

25.

  Cryptic U.S. Presidents - 10 questions - 7 mins

There have been 43 U.S. Presidents who have borne 37 surnames. Out of these 37 surnames are ten answers to be found through conventional cryptic clues. See if you can figure them out.

Difficult, 10 Qns, cobb367, Jul 08 05

Difficult
cobb367
1119 plays

26.

  Cryptic Acrostic IV - 10 questions - 6 mins

The answer to the first question gives you the first letter to each of the answers. e.g. The answer to Q2 will start with the second letter of the answer to Q1, and so on. If you can answer the first clue you have a head start on the other answers.

Tough, 10 Qns, minch, Nov 25 06

Tough
minch
484 plays

27.

  Cryptic Cities - 10 questions - 8 mins

Each question is like a cryptic crossword clue but the answers are all single word world cities. Think of it as a cryptic round the world holiday, starting in South America and ending in Australia.

Difficult, 10 Qns, cricky, Oct 27 02

Difficult
cricky
1300 plays

28.

  Cryptic Capitals - 1 - 20 questions - 11 mins

Solve the cryptic clues to identify the European capital cities. English spellings are used throughout the quiz. Good luck!

Difficult, 20 Qns, Lottie1001, Oct 30 08

Difficult
Lottie1001
843 plays

29.

  Cryptic Crosswords 7 - Double Meaning Clues - 10 questions - 6 mins

Another type of clue found in cryptic crosswords deals with words that have the same spelling but different meanings. e.g. Clue -Highest ranking toy Answer - TOP.

Difficult, 10 Qns, minch, Mar 21 06

Difficult
minch
1160 plays

30.

  Crypto-Zoology - 15 questions - 9 mins

These are cryptic crossword-style clues. Each answer is the name of an animal. If you haven't ever done cryptics (and they ARE addictive), please check out my 'How to Do Cryptic Crosswords' puzzle first.

Difficult, 15 Qns, crisw, May 16 07

Difficult
crisw
966 plays

31.

  Cryptic Crosswords 9 - Mixed - 10 questions - 7 mins

When solving crossword clues it often helps to know one or more letters. Answer this clue and it will give you the first letters of the answers to #1-#10. Escort past unruly onlookers. (hint - It's an anagram)

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, minch, Mar 28 04

Very Difficult
minch
798 plays

32.

  Cryptic Fun - 10 questions - 8 mins

Jocularity. Jocularity. Jocularity. Buff your humour with some teasing cryptic fun.

Difficult, 10 Qns, fiachra, Sep 19 04

Difficult
fiachra
560 plays

33.

  Cryptic Wines - 10 questions - 8 mins

Use conventional cryptic clues to solve the names of these well-known wines. All wine names used are regional or local; no varietals are included.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, cobb367, Aug 18 05

Very Difficult
cobb367
658 plays

34.

  Cryptic Acrostic V - 10 questions - 7 mins

The answer to the first question (an anagram) provides the first letters of the ten answers. Look for hidden words, anagrams, words with two meanings and other word play.

Difficult, 10 Qns, minch, Feb 02 07

Difficult
minch
418 plays

35.

  Cryptic Famous Battles - 10 questions - 7 mins

Use conventional cryptic clues to come up with the names of famous battles.

Impossible, 10 Qns, cobb367, Jun 19 05

Impossible
cobb367
616 plays

36.

  Cryptic Anagrams 2 - 10 questions - 8 mins

Back for a second installment - there is a clue in each question, and one (or more) of the words will be an anagram of the answer.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, eburge, Nov 12 08

Very Difficult
eburge
348 plays

37.

  A Cryptic Brushstroke - 10 questions - 7 mins

Use your cryptic know how to brush aside the verbiage and unmask the names of ten artists. Have fun. Not recommended for beginners.

Tough, 10 Qns, fiachra, Nov 19 21

Tough
fiachra
Nov 19 21
317 plays

38.

  Cryptic Capitals - 10 questions - 8 mins

A more traditional cryptic puzzle, but this time the answers are all national capitals. Hope you have fun!

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, hermitdermot, Jul 29 06

Very Difficult
hermitdermot
757 plays

39.

  Kryptic Klues - 10 questions - 8 mins

Each answer is a word made up of two separate words. I'll give you kryptic klues and a definition for the real word and you guess. Some are pretty funny so don't laugh too hard!

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Jul 16 12

Very Difficult
richicago
829 plays

40.

  Hotch Potch of Cryptics - 10 questions - 8 mins

For all of you cryptic lovers, here is more grist for your mill.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, Exit10, Dec 09 08

Very Difficult
Exit10
291 plays

41.

  Cryptic Crackers Part 2 - 15 questions - 9 mins

Part two of my alphabetical cryptic quiz.'X' and 'Z' are missing, but there is a substitute to bring the total to 15. So, brew another coffee or tea, add a tasty morsel or two, relax and enjoy.

Very Difficult, 15 Qns, fiachra, Aug 12 12

Very Difficult
fiachra
577 plays

42.

  Another Cryptic Acrostic - 10 questions - 7 mins

The answer to the first question (an anagram) provides the first letter of the ten answers. Look for anagrams, hidden words, homophones, charades, etc. Read the hints for help.

Difficult, 10 Qns, minch, Jun 08 07

Difficult
minch
458 plays

43.

  Cryptology - 10 questions - 8 mins

Have fun with these cryptics. I love to make them up and have a lot more if you like them.

Impossible, 10 Qns, richicago, Nov 30 03

Impossible
richicago
414 plays

44.

  Cryptic Poets - 10 questions - 7 mins

Use conventional cryptic clues to solve the surnames of these well-known poets, all of whom wrote in the English language. All answers are last names.

Difficult, 10 Qns, cobb367, Oct 15 05

Difficult
cobb367
229 plays

45.

  More Kryptic Klues - 10 questions - 8 mins

Each answer is both a terrible pun, and a word made up of two separate words. I'll give you kryptic klues for the two words and a definition of the real word and you guess. Some are both hilarious as well as side-splitting.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Mar 24 04

Very Difficult
richicago
669 plays

46.

  Cryptic Crosswords 3 - Container clues - 10 questions - 8 mins

Container type clues are those where a word contains another word or letter. There will always be an indicator to show you that the clue is the container type. Such indicator words can be in, on, around, in the middle, etc.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, minch, Feb 27 04

Very Difficult
minch
551 plays

47.

  Cryptology #9 - 10 questions - 8 mins

Here are some more cerebral quizzes for you. Good luck and have fun!

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Jan 13 04

Very Difficult
richicago
372 plays

48.

  Cryptic Clues: Deities - 10 questions - 8 mins

Another theme cryptic quiz by me. All of the answers are deities of various mythologies and pantheons (so all definitions indicate that). You need only unravel the cryptic part. You should know HOW TO DO CRYPTICS before attempting!

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, ensiform, Sep 22 02

Very Difficult
ensiform
669 plays

49.

  A Cryptic At Midnight - 10 questions - 8 mins

An easy cryptic mix to end the day and send you happily to bed. Have fun and good luck.

Difficult, 10 Qns, Fiachra, Feb 15 14

Difficult
Fiachra
369 plays

50.

  Let's do a cryptic - 15 questions - 9 mins

The quiz is divided into simple(1-5), average(6-10) and challenging(11-15), so it has something for everyone. Enjoy .

Difficult, 15 Qns, Fiachra, Mar 21 04

Difficult
Fiachra
513 plays

51.

  A Mid-Summer Cryptic - 10 questions - 8 mins

This cryptic has been a very long time in the making, on scraps of paper when time allowed. Some cryptic experience might be helpful. Have fun and enjoy.

Difficult, 10 Qns, Fiachra, Jul 31 05

Difficult
Fiachra
270 plays

52.

  Cryptology #10 - 10 questions - 8 mins

Another bunch of toughies for you cryptic fans.

Difficult, 10 Qns, Richicago, Jan 17 04

Difficult
Richicago
285 plays

53.

  Cryptic No. 2 - 10 questions - 8 mins

I have tried to make this a little easier as my first effort was much harder than I realised. Try it and have fun.

Difficult, 10 Qns, Fiachra, Jul 27 03

Difficult
Fiachra
817 plays

54.

  Cryptic Crossword Clues Quiz for Experts - 10 questions - 8 mins

Hello. This is a quiz consisting of cryptic crossword clues devised by me. It has all fill in the blank answers, so it's HARD! For an explanation on how these clues work, go to this website http://www.primate.wisc.edu/people/hamel/newyorker.html

Impossible, 10 Qns, ensiform, Aug 26 02

Impossible
ensiform
721 plays

55.

  Cryptology IV - 10 questions - 8 mins

Here I am again with a cryptic challenge. Are you equal to the task?

Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Dec 04 03

Difficult
richicago
331 plays

56.

  Cryptology #8 - 10 questions - 8 mins

More products of the evil cryptic genius.(heh heh).

Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Dec 26 03

Difficult
richicago
411 plays

57.

  Cryptic world cities - 10 questions - 7 mins

I will give a cryptic clue to a major world city, you type the name of the city. Spelling is important.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, pdav1, Jun 20 06

Very Difficult
pdav1
725 plays

58.

  Cryptology II - 10 questions - 8 mins

Here is chapter two of, hopefully, a long series of cryptic puzzles. Enjoy!

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Oct 11 08

Very Difficult
richicago
291 plays

59.

  Cryptology V - 10 questions - 8 mins

Complete this quiz correctly and you will qualify for a Masters Degree in Cryptology.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Dec 09 06

Very Difficult
richicago
432 plays

60.

  Cryptology VII - 10 questions - 8 mins

Here is yet another bunch of brain busters for all you cryptics addicts out there in Quizzyland.

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, richicago, Jan 29 07

Very Difficult
richicago
228 plays

61.

  Tricky Cryptics - 25 questions - 12 mins

As a long-time cryptic crossword lover, I hope this submission of original cryptic questions meets all the criteria to warrant publication. All the rules of cryptic solving apply! Good luck and good solving!

Impossible, 25 Qns, Bwebster, Aug 29 06

Impossible
Bwebster
700 plays

62.

  Cryptology III - 10 questions - 8 mins

Here is installment three of my Cryptology series, each of which, hopefully, will tax your intellect. Have fun.

Impossible, 10 Qns, richicago, Jan 24 04

Impossible
richicago
771 plays

63.

  Cryptic Rivers of the World - 10 questions - 7 mins

Use conventional cryptic clues to figure out the names of important rivers around the world.

Difficult, 10 Qns, cobb367, May 10 05

Difficult
cobb367
268 plays

64.

  A Cryptic Quiz - 15 questions - 9 mins

This is my first attempt at cryptics, I loved working on it. I hope it is not too easy, please enjoy.

Impossible, 15 Qns, Fiachra, Jun 25 03

Impossible
Fiachra
628 plays

65.

  Taidhger's second cryptic - 10 questions - 8 mins

Any apparent theme that reveals itself in the solutions to these cryptics is entirely coincidental, I assure you. This might be a tad easier than my last one - but who knows?

Impossible, 10 Qns, taidhger, Mar 18 03

Impossible
taidhger
264 plays

66.

  Another Clutch of Cryptics - 10 questions - 8 mins

Ten more Cryptics. This time, all answers will be seven letters long.

Impossible, 10 Qns, tjoebigham, Aug 25 03

Impossible
tjoebigham
255 plays

67.

  Cryptics II - 10 questions - 8 mins

Here's my second attempt at my favorite genre: cryptics. Hope it is as challenging to solve as it was to create. All cryptic rules apply. Enjoy!

Very Difficult, 10 Qns, bwebster, Aug 26 12

Very Difficult
bwebster
502 plays

68.

  A Clutch of Cryptics - 10 questions - 8 mins

For years, I've loved solving cryptic crosswords, so naturally this is my first Cryptics quiz, using some of my favorite words.

Impossible, 10 Qns, tjoebigham, Jan 05 03

Impossible
tjoebigham
529 plays

69.

  Clutch Of Cryptics 3 - 10 questions - 8 mins

For my third Cryptics quiz, I added two long foreign words (and one obsolete one) to the mix. Otherwise, the same rules apply.

Impossible, 10 Qns, tjoebigham, Aug 11 08

Impossible
tjoebigham
433 plays

70.

  Cryptics - 10 questions - 8 mins

Standard cryptic clues used.

Impossible, 10 Qns, button_pj, Jan 03 03

Impossible
button_pj
1559 plays

71.

  A Wee Cryptic - 10 questions - 8 mins

A little offering for cryptic lovers. Nothing too challenging, so feet up, relax, have fun. Good luck.

Difficult, 10 Qns, fiachra, Jul 13 06

Difficult
fiachra
315 plays

72.

  Thinking Caps On Please - 10 questions - 8 mins

I was a couch potato for the Christmas hols so I created this little quiz to kick start the grey matter for 2004. It's easy but have fun and enjoy.

Impossible, 10 Qns, Fiachra, Jan 15 04

Impossible
Fiachra
624 plays