Hardest Crossword Puzzle Ever

Ask any crossword enthusiast which day of the week has the hardest crossword puzzle, and they'll tell you that it's Saturday. Unlike Monday puzzles with their straightforward clues, you'll find the clues become more circuitous towards the end of the week, making for a more challenging puzzle. Crossword clues get more vague, complicated, and disjointed as the week goes on. So, has the Saturday crossword left you wanting more of a challenge? For those seasoned cruciverbalists searching for a next-level challenge, the Hardest Crossword Ever is here, and it's only available on Arkadium.

So, what is the most challenging crossword puzzle ever published? Created by Stanley (Stan) Newman, Newsday's legendary crossword editor, this puzzle has been tested by some of the best experts in the crossword world and has earned the title of hardest-to-handle crossword. It is predicted that no more than 5% of crossword enthusiasts will be able to solve this puzzle. Will you be one of them?

Before you proceed, Stan Newman, the puzzle's author, has shared some insights and helpful tips for solving the hardest crossword puzzle:

To create the hardest crossword, making it absolutely the toughest crossword ever made, it had to be even tougher than my Saturday Stumper puzzles you'll find elsewhere on arkadium.com, which are widely acknowledged to be the most difficult daily crosswords regularly available on print or online in America.

How was the Hardest Crossword Ever created?

First, by making the crossword Sunday-size (21x21 squares) rather than daily-size (15x15 squares). Then filling the diagram with the longest possible answers--over half of them are six letters long or longer. With the widest variety: from the dictionary and miscellaneous factual sources, plus a few that you won't find in any dictionary, encyclopedia, or even with a Web search. And then, preparing a set of clues that kick it up many notches above Saturday Stumpers in deviousness.

But you can be sure that every clue is still fair, in that each one, in its own way, does legitimately lead to each answer.

Don't be surprised that the REVEAL function of Arkadium's crossword app won't be available to you. But, being a merciful puzzle perpetrator, I do want to provide you with some guidelines that you will find helpful in your solving, probably even necessary. So, don't be bashful about making use of any or all of these spoiler-free hints and techniques.

Tips and tricks for solving the Hardest Crossword Ever

• The majority of answers are words and phrases that most everyone will know or should know, with only a handful being otherwise.
• There are no easy clues here, and only a small percentage are totally straightforward, meaning exactly what they seem to say. Expect misdirection, wordplay, and deliberate vagueness everywhere.
• You should absolutely use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Web searching as often as you like. Since I honestly believe that this puzzle can't be completed without that kind of assistance.
• If you have no idea about what a clue means, Web searches won't be of much help. But they WILL be helpful in numerous cases for verifying if a possible answer that you think of is correct.
• Once you've filled in some answers that you're reasonably confident about, and have more than one letter filled in for some crossing answers, you will find it helpful to use a crossword "answer finder" website such as crosswordtracker.com where you can obtain a comprehensive list of possible answers based on the letters you already have.
• You are encouraged to team up with, or ask for help from, others who may have knowledge bases different from yours.
• You'll be able to check your solving as you proceed by using the CHECK button.

Looking for more support with your solving? Arkadium is the only place where you'll find this puzzle, so be sure to connect with other players in the comments below and bookmark Stan's companion blog, How to Solve Arkadium's Hardest Crossword Ever, for more tips and tricks.