You're staring at a grid. It's a Wednesday New York Times puzzle, or maybe the LA Times, and you've got three empty squares staring back at you for the prompt business entities crossword clue. You've already tried "firms" but the "F" doesn't work with the down clue. You thought about "corps," but it feels too heavy for a mid-week puzzle. Honestly, it’s frustrating because "business entities" sounds so formal, so legalistic, that your brain goes straight to a law textbook when it should be thinking about the tiny, three-letter shorthand that keeps the American economy—and crossword constructors—running.
The answer is almost always COS. Or maybe LLCS. Sometimes INCS.
Crossword puzzles rely on "crosswordese," a specific dialect of English where words are chosen more for their vowel-to-consonant ratio than their everyday usage. When a constructor needs to fill a tight corner, "business entities" is the perfect clue because it has dozens of potential answers ranging from three to ten letters. But if you're stuck, you have to look at how the clue is phrased. Is it plural? Is there an abbreviation hint? If the clue is "Business entities: Abbr.," you're looking at COS (Companies) or CORPS (Corporations). If it's more vague, you might be hunting for ORGS.
The Tiny Giants: Why COS and INCS Rule the Grid
Constructors love COS. It’s a three-letter savior. It appears in the New York Times crossword database thousands of times because that "O" and "S" are incredibly friendly to other words.
Think about the way we actually talk. We don't say "I'm looking at several business entities today." We say "I'm looking at some companies." But in the world of Will Shortz or Stanley Newman, "business entities" is the formal mask worn by the humble COS. If you see a plural clue, always count the squares for COS first. If it's four letters, pivot immediately to INCS.
Why INCS? Because "Incorporated" is the backbone of American business structure. It’s also a nightmare to fit into a 15x15 grid unless you shorten it. You’ll find INCS popping up when the constructor needs a plural that ends in "S" to satisfy a down clue like "SASS" or "LESS." It’s a utilitarian fill. It’s not flashy, but it gets the job done.
The Modern Twist: LLCS and the Rise of the Small Business
If you’re playing a puzzle written in the last ten years, you’re much more likely to see LLCS as the answer for a business entities crossword clue.
Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) have become the default for everything from your local coffee shop to a massive holding company for a YouTuber. Crossword creators have caught on. LLCS is a tougher fill because of those double "Ls," but it’s a goldmine for constructors trying to link words like "BALLS" or "TALL."
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There’s a nuance here that most casual players miss. If the clue mentions "Small business entities," LLCS is your strongest bet. The "small" is a subtle nudge toward a specific legal structure that wasn't as prevalent in puzzles forty years ago. Back then, you would have seen RTD (Registered) or LTD (Limited), which still show up in British-style puzzles like those in The Guardian or The Telegraph.
When the Answer Isn't an Abbreviation
Sometimes the constructor is feeling mean. They don't want to give you the easy three-letter out. If you have five letters, you’re likely looking at FIRMS.
FIRMS is a "flat" word in crossword speak. It doesn't have many flashy vowels, but it’s a solid, common-language answer for business entities. If the grid is particularly wide, you might even see ESTATES, though that usually leans more toward legal or land-based clues.
Let's look at the outliers:
- SYNDICATES: This is rare, but it shows up in Sunday puzzles. It’s long, it’s complex, and it usually refers to groups of businesses working together.
- CONCERNS: No, not the feeling of being worried. In British English and older American legalese, a "concern" is a business entity. It’s a classic "trap" answer that trips up younger solvers.
- AGENCES: A French variation that sometimes creeps into high-brow puzzles.
- OUTFITS: A bit more colloquial. If the clue has a slight "slangy" or informal vibe—like "Certain business entities, informally"—think OUTFITS.
Deciphering the Constructor’s Intent
The secret to being a "speed solver" isn't knowing every word in the dictionary; it's knowing how the person who wrote the puzzle thinks.
If the clue is "Business entities (Abbr.)," the parentheses are a legal contract between you and the constructor. They are promising you that the answer is a shortened version of a word. If those parentheses are missing, but the answer is still COS, some solvers get annoyed. They call it a "dirty" clue. However, in modern puzzles, the "Abbr." tag is sometimes omitted if the abbreviation is so common it has entered standard speech.
You also have to watch for the "C" words. CORPS is a frequent flier. It’s five letters, ends in "S," and is often clued as "Large business entities." If the clue mentions "size" or "scale," your brain should jump to CORPS or ENTS (Entities). Wait, ENTS? Yes, though it’s rarer because most people think of Treebeard from Lord of the Rings before they think of legal entities.
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The Legal Jargon That Slips In
Occasionally, you'll hit a wall with a clue like "Business entities' papers."
Suddenly, you're not looking for the entities themselves, but what defines them. The answer is almost always DICTA or BYLAWS.
If the clue is "Business entities, for short," and COS doesn't fit, try BORN. No, that’s not right—you’d be looking for ASSOCS (Associations). It’s a clunky word, but it fills seven squares like a charm.
The variety of business structures—Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Corporations, S-Corps—means that the "business entities" clue is a chameleon. It changes based on the surrounding letters. If you have a "P" at the start, you're looking at PARTNERSHIPS (long) or PNRS (short and ugly).
How to Solve This Clue Every Time
When you see "business entities" in a clue list, don't just type in the first thing that comes to mind. Follow this mental flowchart:
- Count the squares. Three? It’s COS. Four? It’s INCS or LLCS. Five? It’s FIRMS or CORPS.
- Check for pluralization. If the clue is "Business entity," the answer must be singular (CO, INC, FIRM). If it's "entities," it must end in an S.
- Look for the "Abbr." tag. If it's there, your job is easier. If it's not, the answer might be a full word like AGENCY or OFFICE.
- Analyze the "Flavor." Is the puzzle from the Wall Street Journal? Expect more technical answers like LLCS. Is it a "punny" Monday puzzle? It might be something silly like SHOPS.
The Evolution of the "Business" Clue
It’s interesting to see how these clues have changed since the 1970s. Back then, you’d never see LLC in a puzzle. You’d see MTGE (Mortgage) or SYND (Syndicate). As the economy has shifted toward tech and small-scale startups, the vocabulary of the crossword has shifted too.
Today, we see DOTCOMS as a valid answer for business entities. It’s a seven-letter beauty that uses some of the most common letters in the alphabet. If you see a clue about "Late 90s business entities," you can bet your bottom dollar it's DOTCOMS.
Then there’s the global aspect. If the clue mentions "German business entities," the answer is AGS or GMBHS. For "British business entities," look for PLCS (Public Limited Companies). These are the "expert level" fills that separate the Sunday solvers from the Monday dabblers.
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Actionable Advice for Your Next Grid
Next time you’re stuck on this specific clue, stop trying to remember your Business 101 textbook. Instead, look at the letters you already have.
If you have an S at the end, write it in lightly. Most "entities" clues are plural. If you have a C at the beginning, test out COS or CORPS.
Don't be afraid to use the "check" function if you're playing digitally, but if you're on paper, use a pencil. The "business entities" clue is one of the most common "erasable" answers because it has so many synonyms.
Common Answers by Letter Count:
- 3 Letters: COS, INC (if singular), LTD
- 4 Letters: INCS, LLCS, COYS (British), ORGS
- 5 Letters: FIRMS, CORPS, SHOPS, UNITS
- 6 Letters: GROUPS, HOUSES, AGENTS
- 7 Letters: OFFICES, OUTFITS, ASSOCS
Focus on the "crosses." If the word intersecting your business clue is a common vowel-heavy word like AREA, ERIE, or ALOE, use those letters to narrow down whether you're dealing with COS or ORGS. Usually, the down clue will give away the game. If the down clue is "Great Lakes city," and you have an E, the answer is ERIE, which means your business entity probably ends in an S.
Stop overthinking the legal definition. In crosswords, a "business entity" is whatever fits the squares and shares a letter with "ERIE."
Next Steps for Solvers:
To master these types of clues, start keeping a small "crosswordese" notebook. Every time you see a business-related clue that uses an abbreviation you didn't expect, jot it down. You'll notice that constructors like David Steinberg or Brendan Emmett Quigley have favorite "fill" words they use to bridge difficult sections of a grid. Learning the "shorthand" of specific constructors is the fastest way to move from a 20-minute solve to a 5-minute sprint.
Focus on learning the PLCS and GMBHS of the world, as these "international" business entities are the most common stumbling blocks for intermediate players. Once you have those in your back pocket, you won't be intimidated by a formal-sounding clue again.