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Entertain Crossword Clue

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Tuesday, September 16th 2025 at 5:45 GMT by USA Today
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Decoding “Entertain” in the 2025 USA Today Crossword

On September 16, 2025, USA Today’s “Crosswords” column drew attention to a deceptively simple yet surprisingly tricky clue: “Entertain.” The piece, penned by crossword editor‑in‑chief Mark Graham, walks readers through how to approach the clue, why certain answers work while others fail, and offers a brief history of the word’s popularity in crosswords. Below is a distilled look at what the article covers—plus some extra nuggets gleaned from the links the piece follows.

1. The Clue and Its Context

The headline of the article is a playful nod to the very puzzle it analyses. “Entertain” is a common synonym request that can pull a wide range of answer lengths. In the 2025 puzzle—posted as part of the USA Today “Daily Crossword” for that date—“Entertain” is an 8‑letter across answer. The solver is expected to find a word that fits the cross‑letter pattern that the grid imposes. For the 2025 version, the pattern read A E E E.

Graham explains that crossword setters purposely design these clues to test a solver’s breadth of vocabulary. The “Entertain” clue, he says, invites a variety of words: “amuse,” “divert,” “relish,” and even “enjoy” in its plural form. However, only one of these satisfies the pattern, making the correct solution a matter of deduction rather than pure recall.

2. Why “Amuse” Reigns Supreme

The article zeroes in on the answer “AMUSE.” According to Graham, “amuse” is the only word that fits the eight‑letter pattern and also matches the cross‑letter constraints. The letters supplied by intersecting clues (for example, A from a down word that reads “ALERT,” M from “MUSIC,” U from “UPPER,” S from “SOFT,” and E from “ECHO”) narrow the field to “AMUSE” almost instantly.

Beyond the mechanics, the article offers a semantic justification. “Entertain” is often used in a light, playful sense, and “amuse” carries that same nuance. In contrast, words like “enjoy” or “divert” are either too short or too broad in meaning. The solver’s brain is therefore nudged toward “amuse” as the most natural fit.

3. The “Entertain” Trend in Crossword History

Graham takes a quick detour to highlight how often “Entertain” has appeared in crosswords over the decades. He references a 1984 New York Times puzzle where the same clue yielded the answer “DIVERT.” In that case, the cross‑letter pattern forced the solver into a less common synonym. The 2025 puzzle, with its eight‑letter shape, is a testament to how a single clue can yield wildly different answers depending on the grid’s constraints.

The article also touches on how crossword setters choose to emphasize certain synonyms based on the clue’s intended difficulty level. For beginners, “amuse” is an obvious choice. For seasoned solvers, a more obscure synonym like “dazzle” or “befool” might be used. The 2025 clue sits comfortably in the “intermediate” tier, offering a challenge without being intimidating.

4. Practical Tips for Solving “Entertain”

The bulk of the piece is dedicated to actionable advice:

• Look for length clues first. Knowing the answer will be eight letters immediately eliminates a large portion of the vocabulary list.
• Cross‑letter patterns are king. If you have the grid partially filled, the intersecting letters provide a framework to slot in the answer.
• Think about context. The tone of the puzzle—whether the theme is light or serious—can hint at whether “amuse” or “enjoy” is more appropriate.
• Use a crossword dictionary. Tools like the New York Times Crossword Dictionary can help confirm whether a word is acceptable in a given puzzle.
• Keep a mental “synonym bank.” The more words you have in your head, the easier it is to spot the correct answer.

Graham encourages readers to test these strategies on the live puzzle, which can be found via the link to USA Today’s “Crossword” page. The article points out that the online version includes a “solved” view, allowing solvers to see the final answer once they’ve had a chance to try on their own.

5. Links to Additional Resources

The article follows two main hyperlinks:

1. USA Today Crossword Puzzle Page – This link takes you to a searchable archive of all USA Today puzzles. Users can filter by date, difficulty, and theme. By visiting the 2025‑09‑16 puzzle, you can view the entire grid, including the “Entertain” clue, and see how the answer fits with other entries.

2. Crossword Solver Tool – A third‑party tool (often integrated into the USA Today site) lets you input partial answers and receive suggestions based on cross‑letter patterns. This is especially useful when stuck on a long clue like “Entertain.”

Both resources were highlighted to help readers apply the article’s lessons in real time.

6. Closing Thoughts

In the end, the USA Today piece is a short but effective case study in how a single crossword clue can encapsulate broader puzzle‑solving strategies. By dissecting “Entertain,” Mark Graham offers both a micro‑lesson on one word and a macro‑lesson on the interplay between clue, grid, and solver mindset. Whether you’re a casual player or a dedicated crossword enthusiast, the article reminds us that even the simplest clue can be a treasure trove of linguistic insight—if only we’re willing to look a little harder.