Good morning, fellow word warriors and puzzle enthusiasts! There’s nothing quite like that first sip of coffee paired with the delicious challenge of a fresh daily crossword, is there? Today, I want to dive into a particular
crossword clue
that truly captured my imagination this week, a five-letter marvel that exemplifies the sheer brilliance and playful deception of cryptic puzzles. The clue? “Animal comes round shore (5).” Just five letters, but oh, the depths of wordplay and interpretation hidden within!
Every seasoned solver knows that some
crossword clues
demand a different kind of brainpower. They’re not just about raw vocabulary or encyclopedic knowledge; they’re about lateral thinking, linguistic acrobatics, and sometimes, that delightful ‘aha!’ moment when the penny finally drops with a satisfying clang. This specific
crossword clue
is a perfect example of how much fun you can have deconstructing language, turning a seemingly straightforward phrase into a clever brain-teaser.
Let’s break down how we approach a cryptic
crossword clue
like this. First, we look for the definition, usually the part that tells us what the answer
is
. In this instance, ‘Animal’ is almost certainly our definitional component. But ‘animal’ is a broad category, isn’t it? From a microscopic organism to a majestic creature, or even a specific type or characteristic of an animal, the possibilities are vast. This common characteristic of cryptic
crossword clues
– broad definitions – is often what makes them so delightfully challenging, forcing us to consider the myriad ways a word can be interpreted.
Then comes the wordplay, the true heart of any good cryptic
crossword clue
. Here, we have ‘comes round shore’. This is where the magic, or indeed the mayhem, often resides. In cryptic crosswords, phrases like ‘comes round’, ‘about’, or ‘around’ can indicate anything from an anagram (where letters are jumbled to form a new word) to a reversal (where the letters are read backwards) or even an insertion (where a letter or short word is placed inside another). The word ’round’ itself is a classic piece of crossword shorthand, often representing a particular letter. And what about ‘shore’? Is it a geographical feature, like a coastline? Is it a verb, meaning to support something? Or could it be a homophone indicator, suggesting the answer sounds like another word? Each element of a cryptic
crossword clue
holds multiple possibilities, and discerning the correct interpretation is the core of successful puzzle solving.
The beauty of a well-crafted
crossword clue
like “Animal comes round shore (5)” lies in its ability to simultaneously inform and misdirect. It provides all the necessary components for the solution, but it arranges them in such a way that your brain has to work a little harder, trying on different hats of meaning and sound. It’s a puzzle within a puzzle, a linguistic dance where every step needs careful consideration.
This kind of
crossword clue
isn’t just about finding the right five-letter word; it’s about the journey of discovery. It’s about seeing how elegantly the setter has woven together definition and wordplay to create something truly satisfying. The satisfaction isn’t just in filling that blank in the grid; it’s in unpacking the layers of meaning, in realizing the subtle genius of the construction. It’s that moment when all the seemingly disparate parts suddenly click into place, revealing the elegant simplicity of the answer.
So, take a moment to ponder this magnificent
crossword clue
. Let your mind wander through the possibilities, explore the various interpretations of ‘comes round’ and ‘shore’, and consider the vast kingdom of ‘Animal’. It’s a fantastic brain-teaser, and one that reminds us all why we love getting lost in the world of daily crosswords. It’s these moments of elegant wordplay that keep us coming back for more, eager to tackle the next clever
crossword clue
that comes our way. Happy puzzling!
Available Answers:
HORSE.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Sunday, 8 June 2025