Editing Crossword (section)

{{short description|Grid-based word puzzle}}
{{other uses}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2020}}
[[File:CrosswordUSA.svg|thumb|An American-style 15×15 crossword grid layout]]

A '''crossword''' (or '''crossword puzzle''') is a [[word game]] consisting of a grid of black and white squares, into which solvers enter words or phrases ("entries") crossing each other horizontally ("across") and vertically ("down") according to a set of clues. Each white square is typically filled with one letter, while the black squares are used to separate entries. The first white square in each entry is typically numbered to correspond to its clue. 

Crosswords commonly appear in [[newspaper]]s and [[magazine]]s. The earliest crosswords that resemble their modern form were popularized by the ''[[New York World]]'' in the 1910s. Many variants of crosswords are popular around the world, including [[cryptic crossword]]s and many language-specific variants.

Crossword construction in modern times usually involves the use of software.  Constructors choose a theme (except for themeless puzzles), place the theme answers in a grid which is usually symmetric, fill in the rest of the grid, and then write clues.

A person who constructs or solves crosswords is called a "cruciverbalist".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of CRUCIVERBALIST |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruciverbalist |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref>  The word "cruciverbalist" appears to have been coined in the 1970s from the Latin roots ''[[wikt:crucis|crucis]]'', meaning 'cross', and ''[[wikt:verbum|verbum]]'', meaning 'word'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cruciverbalist |url=http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-cru1.htm |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=www.worldwidewords.org |language=en-gb}}</ref>