Crossword puzzles remain popular word games played on grids worldwide

Crossword puzzles have been a popular word game for more than a hundred years, first becoming well known through the New York World newspaper in the 1910s. Players fill in white squares on a grid using letters to form words, reading either across or down. Black squares keep the different words separate. Each word has a numbered clue, which is usually a simple definition, though some clues use wordplay or homonyms to make the puzzle harder.

The New York Times publishes one of the most famous crosswords, using a standard grid of 15 by 15 squares. Many variations exist around the world, including cryptic crosswords, which require more complex thinking. Today, players can also use online tools that search large databases containing millions of possible answers to help them solve difficult clues.