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Puzzles

Share hints and solve daily puzzles, including Wordle-style games and brain teasers, on the Puzzles board. You can also visit Mumsnet Puzzles for today's puzzles and challenges.

Parseword - for those who would like to be better at cryptic crosswords!

407 replies

UnaOfStormhold · 15/03/2026 10:27

I am definitely not good at cryptic crosswords but feel this is both fun and a good way to get better

www.parseword.com/

OP posts:
Midlifeshenanigans · 22/03/2026 14:27

Parseword #53
⚡️ 29s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

Twasasurprise · 22/03/2026 13:32

Parseword #53
⏱️ 5m27s
⭐️ No Hints
🥚 Learn Mode

Tricky one. Knew the answer, just struggled to get the right connections.

Twasasurprise · 21/03/2026 15:09

Parseword #52
⏱️ 1m51s
⭐️ No Hints
🥚 Learn Mode

Midlifeshenanigans · 21/03/2026 10:36

Parseword #52
⏱️ 3m48s
⭐️ No Hints
🥚 Learn Mode

MyThreeWords · 21/03/2026 10:18

I wish there was more than one puzzle a day. Already addicted.

MyThreeWords · 21/03/2026 10:08

Just discovered this fabulous little game. It is going to cure me of a lifetime of feeling irritated by people who can look cleverer than me just because they have learnt the daft little tricks of cryptic crosswordsGrin.

I'm finding it hard to learn the way the app works. That seems as tricky as learning the structure of cryptic clues! I notice that my results say 'learn mode'. Presumably this means you can turn off the option to get hints, etc., which I hadn't realised.

MyThreeWords · 21/03/2026 10:04

Parseword #52
⏱️ 3m1s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

vdbfamily · 20/03/2026 20:20

Well I worked out the answer but cannot for the life of me work out how to use the website

Midlifeshenanigans · 20/03/2026 20:14

Parseword #51
⚡️ 31s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

Twasasurprise · 20/03/2026 10:07

Parseword #51
⏱️ 1m16s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

Midlifeshenanigans · 19/03/2026 23:10

Parseword #50
⚡️ 28s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

Twasasurprise · 19/03/2026 13:39

Parseword #50
⏱️ 1m11s
⭐️ No Hints
🥚 Learn Mode

MerlinsButler · 19/03/2026 10:55

Parseword #50
⚡️ 53s
✅ 1 Hint

Midlifeshenanigans · 18/03/2026 19:44

Parseword #49
⚡️ 51s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

thisoldcity · 18/03/2026 17:08

Thanks for this, I've always liked the idea of cryptic crosswords but never managed to do them, so this is a good challenge.

MerlinsButler · 18/03/2026 16:52

Parseword #49
⏱️ 3m3s
✅ 3 Hints

Twasasurprise · 18/03/2026 11:09

Parseword #49
⏱️ 3m50s
⭐️ No Hints
🥚 Learn Mode

Midlifeshenanigans · 17/03/2026 17:05

Parseword #48
⚡️ 45s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

MerlinsButler · 17/03/2026 16:13

Parseword #48
⚡️ 29s
✅ 1 Hint

WynkenDeWorde · 17/03/2026 11:17

I'm finding the nuts and bolts very frustrating - got today's at a glance but it took me an age to work out how to click the various fiddly options to register a correct answer. TBH I think they need to work on making it a bit more intuitive to use.

Twasasurprise · 17/03/2026 10:26

Parseword #48
⏱️ 1m22s
⭐️ No Hints
🥚 Learn Mode

MerlinsButler · 16/03/2026 18:39

Parseword #47
⏱️ 1m46s
✅ 2 Hints

YellowOranges · 16/03/2026 18:17

recently started doing the minutecryptic so this is a fun find!

Parseword #47
⚡️ 36s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

UnaOfStormhold · 16/03/2026 17:19

Yesterday was quite tricky, so many words I took a while to work out where to start, much easier today!

I like that it gives you a limited set of alternative words so it's easier to see what's going on - "apricot" yesterday would not have been sprung to mind for ages without the prompt.

I can imagine it would be much easier for cryptic crossword veterans but I suppose if you like doing that you'd enjoy this too! I know a little about how to unpick a cryptic clue but doing a whole crossword can be a frustrating learning curve, whereas this feels a lot more manageable.

Anyway, glad people are enjoying it! I was happy to add this to my daily games so thought I'd share (currently Wordle, Pips, Connections, Mumsnet codeword, Reunion and Waffle/Stackdown/Onewordsearch on the list).

OP posts:
WynkenDeWorde · 16/03/2026 11:24

DH and I do a Grauniad cryptic crossword every day, sometimes two, and we saw an article about this new puzzle. Just had a go and solved today’s in 30 seconds as we’re pretty well-honed now 😂 It's basically a cryptic clue every day, just without the grid. Quite fun.

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