Hard Crosswords Printable

Q: What is the hardest setting?

Expert is a 17×17 grid with about thirty clues and the most indirect wording.

Q: How do I save a crossword as a PDF?

Press Print puzzles, then in the print dialog choose Save as PDF as the printer. The grid and clues stay together on one clean page per puzzle.

Q: Is there an answer key?

Yes. Print answer key prints the solved grids with a numbered list of every answer. Print both puts the key after the puzzles.

Printable crosswords for solvers who finish the easy ones before the coffee cools. These sheets use 15×15 grids (or 17×17 on Expert) with more than twenty clues, longer answers and clues that hint rather than define. Print one, then check yourself against the answer key.

How to play Hard Crosswords Printable

Choose a theme and a difficulty, then press New puzzles to build a fresh crossword.
The sheet shows a numbered grid with the Across and Down clues underneath, and the length of each answer in brackets.
Press Print puzzles for the worksheets, or Print both to add an answer key page after them.
Choose Show answers to preview the filled-in grid on screen before you print it.
Want a different puzzle? Press New puzzles as many times as you like; there is no limit and no sign-up.

Controls

Theme picks the topic, or choose Mixed themes for general knowledge.
Difficulty sets the grid size and clue style: Easy 11×11, Medium 13×13, Hard 15×15, Expert 17×17.
Puzzles per set builds up to four different crosswords at once, each on its own page.
Large print makes the clues bigger and keeps the grid at 13×13 or smaller.
Print puzzles, Print answer key or Print both open your browser’s print dialog; pick “Save as PDF” as the destination to download a PDF.

Tips

Hard clues often use wordplay or a second meaning; ask what else the key word could mean.
Fill in the longest answers last. Short crossings give you their letters for free.
Print on letter or A4 paper at 100% scale and use a pencil.

Why these are hard

Easy crosswords use direct definitions and short words. Hard and Expert use bigger grids, longer answers, less common words and clues that point at the answer instead of defining it.

Hard crosswords by topic

Science · History · Geography · Words & language · Music · Nature · Space

More printable crossword pages

Printable crossword puzzles · Easy crossword puzzles printable · Large print crossword puzzles · Difficult crossword puzzles printable

FAQ

What is the hardest setting?

Expert is a 17×17 grid with about thirty clues and the most indirect wording.

How do I save a crossword as a PDF?

Press Print puzzles, then in the print dialog choose Save as PDF as the printer. The grid and clues stay together on one clean page per puzzle.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. Print answer key prints the solved grids with a numbered list of every answer. Print both puts the key after the puzzles.

Are the clues original?

Yes. Every clue and word list is written for this site; none are copied from newspapers or puzzle books.

Is every crossword different?

Yes. Each grid is built on the spot by a fill algorithm that crosses words at shared letters, so you will not get the same sheet twice.

Can I use these in class or for a party?

Yes. Printing for personal, classroom and party use is fine. Please do not resell the sheets.