Clue Type

Anagram Clues

An anagram clue asks you to rearrange a set of letters (the fodder) to form the answer. The clue always contains an anagram indicator — a word or phrase that signals mixing, breaking, or reshuffling — plus a straight definition of the answer.

How to identify anagram clues

Look for indicator words that suggest disorder, change, or rearrangement. Then count the letters of nearby words to see if they match the answer length. If a group of letters beside the indicator has the exact letter count, you have likely found the fodder.

Common indicators

mixedbrokenwildconfusedscrambledtwistedmangledrearrangedshuffleddancingcrazydrunkmessyshattereddestroyedruinedreformedconvertedchangedmodifiedalteredsortedcookedbadlypoorlyoddlystrangelywreckednovelnewfreshexcitedupsettroubled

Worked examples

#10127 May 2026

Grow closer to Hannah, with time shared between 8 and 10?(8)

Definition
Our definition here is 'Grow', and our answer will be another word for that.
Indicator
This clue's indicators are 'closer to' and 'shared between'. One of these is a fairly straightforward (albeit somewhat disguised) selection indicator, pointing out the position of a specific letter in neighbouring fodder. The other uses one piece of fodder to describe how two other pieces relate to each other. This is not a standard indicator at all - good luck!
Fodder
This clue's fodder is 'Hannah', 'time', '8', and '10'. We'll need to find straightforward substitutes for three of these and use them with one or more letters from the other to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s).

Answer: HEIGHTEN

Full breakdown
#9622 May 2026

Midrange van crashed into circular intersection?(4, 7)

Definition
Our definition here is 'circular intersection?', and the question mark is priming us to think a little more laterally than we normally might. Our answer will be a kind of circular intersection.
Indicator
This clue's indicator is 'crashed' and it's an anagram indicator. Some neighbouring letters have crashed, a destructive act that reshapes those letters into a new form. 'into' could be interpreted as part of this anagram indicator - letters are 'crashed into' - or just a linking word between the wordplay and the definition - the crashing will transform letters 'into' an answer matching our definition.
Fodder
This clue's fodder is 'Midrange van'. We'll use these letters to form our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s).

Answer: VENN DIAGRAM

Full breakdown
#9319 May 2026

Fussy spouse leaves United States to get bread in Mexico?(4)

Definition
Our definition here is 'bread in Mexico?' and, with the question mark flagging some slight stretch, our answer will be another word for bread in Mexico.
Indicator
This clue's indicators are 'Fussy' and 'leaves'. One of these is an anagram indicator - some neighbouring letters will get visually busy by rearranging. The other is a deletion indicator - some fodder will leave other fodder and continue without it.
Fodder
This clue's fodder is 'spouse' and 'United States'. We'll need to find a short substitute for one of these and use it with the letters of the other to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s).

Answer: PESO

Full breakdown
#8814 May 2026

Rocking moccasins? Corporate style guides might consider it unprofessional(5, 4)

Definition
Our definition here is 'Corporate style guides might consider it unprofessional', and our answer will is something notoriously unprofessional from a stylistic standpoint.
Indicator
This clue's indicator is 'Rocking' and it's an anagram indicator. We'll be shocking, shaking, stunning, wobbling, bewildering, startling and disturbing some neighbouring fodder (all ideas embodied in 'rocking'), and it will rearrange as a result.
Fodder
This clue's fodder is 'moccasins'. We'll use these letters to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s).

Answer: COMIC SANS

Full breakdown
#8612 May 2026

Vanessa has straightened curls and centre parting — for me that’s basic(7)

Definition
Our definition here is 'that’s basic', and our answer will be a word that means basic.
Indicator
This clue's indicators are 'has straightened curls', 'centre', and 'parting for'. Let's talk about 'has straightened curls' - a new kind of indicator for us (a homoglyph), suggesting we'll be playing with shapes and the look of letters. We'll need to take the curly shape/s in some neighbouring fodder and straighten them into different letter/s. 'parting for' is a swapping indicator: something leaves fodder and its place is taken by something else. And 'centre' is an old familiar selection indicator pointing to the letter at the centre of some fodder.
Fodder
This clue's fodder is 'Vanessa', and 'me'. We'll use the letters of 'Vanessa' (some of them transformed) and a short synonym for 'me' to reach our answer, as guided by the clue's indicators.

Answer: VANILLA

Full breakdown

Practice tips

1Count letters first. If the fodder's letter count does not match the enumeration, it is not the right fodder.
2The indicator can appear before or after the fodder — do not assume a fixed order.
3Some indicators are subtle. Words like 'novel' or 'off' can signal an anagram in the right context.
4Write the fodder letters in a circle or jumble them on paper to help spot the answer.

Related glossary terms

Explore other clue types