You're sitting there with your morning coffee, the New York Times crossword is almost finished, but that one corner is just... blank. The clue says alike in French crossword and you have four letters. Your brain immediately goes to meme or egal. Neither fits the crosses. It’s frustrating.
Honestly, French loanwords are the bread and butter of English crossword puzzles, yet they’re the ones that trip people up the most because the grammar doesn't always translate 1:1.
The word you’re likely looking for is Pari. Or maybe Meme.
Depending on the grid and the specific phrasing—whether the clue is looking for an adjective, a noun, or a prepositional phrase—the answer shifts. If you’ve spent any time looking at Will Shortz's edits or the LA Times layouts, you know that "alike" is a chameleon. It’s a trick of linguistics. In French, expressing similarity isn't just one word; it’s a whole spectrum of nuances that puzzle constructors love to exploit.
The Usual Suspects: Decoding the Four-Letter Answers
If the clue is alike in French crossword style, MEME is the statistical heavyweight. It’s the literal translation for "same." If you say la même chose, you’re saying "the same thing." It’s elegant, short, and has those alternating vowels and consonants that constructors crave to make their grids work.
But here’s where it gets weird.
Sometimes the clue is looking for PARI. Now, if you know French, you might be thinking, "Wait, pari means a bet or a wager." You’re right. But in the context of certain older crossword dictionaries or very specific linguistic puns, it shows up. However, the far more common "P" answer is actually PAREIL. If the grid only gives you four letters, you’re usually looking at a shortened form or a different root entirely.
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Actually, let’s talk about EGAL. It means equal. In many clues, "alike" and "equal" are treated as synonyms, even if they aren't perfectly interchangeable in a sentence. If you see a four-letter slot and meme doesn't work, egal is your best friend.
Then there is TEL. It basically means "such" or "like." Think of the phrase tel quel (as is). If the clue is "Alike: Fr.," and you see three letters, tel is the winner. It's a tiny word with a lot of heavy lifting to do.
Why Crossword Constructors Love French
It isn't just about being fancy. It’s about the letters.
English is a Germanic language with a massive French overlay thanks to 1066 and all that. Because of this, we have words like "resemble" (from ressembler) and "similar" (from similaire). When a constructor is stuck with a weird vowel string like E-E, they are almost certainly going to reach for a French word to bail them out.
Take IDEM. While technically Latin, it’s used heavily in French (and English) to mean "the same" or "alike." If you’re filling out a crossword and you see a clue about similarity, and you’ve got an I and an M, idem is the silver bullet.
Crossword puzzles are basically just huge games of Scrabble where the board is already decided for you. Designers like Brendan Emmett Quigley or Elizabeth Gorski often use these French variations because they bridge the gap between difficult consonant clusters. If you have a word ending in M, and you need a vowel-heavy word to cross it, meme is a godsend.
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Beyond the Basics: The Nuance of Similarity
Sometimes the clue is a bit more descriptive. If it says "Alike, to Alain," they are explicitly telling you they want the French version.
- COMME: This is the most common way to say "like" or "as" in daily French conversation. It’s five letters. If your grid has five boxes and the clue is "Alike," check the crosses for C-O-M-M-E.
- AINSI: This translates more to "thus" or "in this way," but it’s frequently used to denote a similarity in action.
- UNI: Short for uniform or "alike in style." This is a common three-letter filler.
Let's be real: nobody actually uses these words in English conversation unless they're trying to sound like a 19th-century diplomat. But in the world of the 15x15 grid, they are essential.
The complexity of French grammar means that "alike" can change based on gender. This is a nightmare for English speakers. Pareil is masculine. Pareille is feminine. If the clue mentions a girl's name or a feminine noun, you might need that extra E at the end. It's these little traps that separate the casual Monday solvers from the Saturday morning masters.
Tips for Nailing the "Alike in French Crossword" Clue Every Time
Stop guessing and start analyzing the grid. If you have a "four-letter French word for alike," follow this mental checklist.
First, check the second letter. If it’s an E, your primary candidate is MEME. It is the most common answer in the history of the New York Times crossword for this specific clue.
Second, look at the vowels. Does the word start with a vowel? EGAL or IDEM are your likely candidates. If it starts with a consonant and ends with a vowel, and it's three letters, it's probably TEL.
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Third, consider the "As" factor. Sometimes "alike" is a synonym for "as." In that case, COMME is the heavy hitter.
Honestly, the best way to get better at this is to just memorize the "crosswordese" dictionary. Words like etee, area, and meme show up so often they should probably be on the cover of the book. Crosswordese is its own language. It’s a subset of English that exists only within the black-and-white squares of your local paper.
The Evolution of the Clue
Back in the 1970s and 80s, crossword clues were much more literal. You’d get "Alike (Fr.)" and that was it. Today, constructors are more playful. They might use "Similar, in Seine?" or "Equal for Emile?"
The "Seine" or "Emile" or "Paris" additions are your neon signs. They are telling you: "Hey, look for a French word!"
I’ve seen clues like "Alike, in Alençon." Alençon is a town in France known for lace. Does the lace matter? No. It’s just a clever way to signal the language. Don't let the fluff distract you from the core requirement: a 4 or 5-letter word for "same."
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
- Keep a mental list of the big three: MEME, EGAL, and COMME. These cover about 80% of "alike" clues involving French.
- Watch the pluralization: If the clue is "Alike, in France" (plural), you might need to add an S, resulting in MEMES or EGALS (though egaux is the proper French plural, English crosswords sometimes cheat with egals).
- Check the "Crosses" early: Don't commit to meme until you've verified at least two of the letters with vertical words. It’s a common trap to write it in and then realize the third letter is actually a T.
- Use a Crossword Solver as a learning tool: If you’re really stuck, sites like Wordplay by the NYT explain the logic behind the day's clues. Use them not to cheat, but to understand the constructor's "voice."
Crosswords are as much about understanding the person who wrote the puzzle as they are about vocabulary. Once you realize that most constructors are just trying to find a way to fit "M" and "E" together, the French clues become a lot less intimidating. Next time you see "alike in French crossword," you won't even hesitate. You'll just look at the grid, check the count, and drop in the answer like a pro.