A cryptic crossword clue is a phrase that leads to a single answer word through specific rules. Crosswords made of them (cryptic crosswords) are most common in Britain, but there are international publishers as well. A cryptic clue has three parts: a precise definition (acceptable in traditional "quick" crosswords)

A cryptic clue leads to its answer only if it is read in the right way. What the clue appears to say when read normally (the surface reading) is a distraction and usually has nothing to do with the clue answer. The challenge is to find the way of reading the clue that leads to the solution.