You’re sitting there with your morning coffee, staring at the grid, and suddenly you hit a wall. Seven letters. The clue: competition for queens crossword. Your brain immediately jumps to Buckingham Palace or maybe a high-stakes chess match. You start pencil-sketching names of royal dynasties.
Stop. You're overthinking it.
Honestly, crossword puzzles are less about historical deep dives and more about lateral thinking. When a constructor throws a "queen" at you, they aren't usually looking for Elizabeth II or Marie Antoinette. They’re looking for a specific kind of spectacle. The kind involving evening gowns, sash-wearing, and a very specific type of stage walk.
The Most Likely Answer: PAGEANT
In about 90% of cases, the answer to a "competition for queens" clue is PAGEANT. It’s the bread and butter of the New York Times and LA Times crossword worlds.
Think about it. A pageant is literally a contest where the winner is crowned a "queen"—whether it’s Miss America, a local Apple Blossom Queen, or a county fair titleholder. It fits the seven-letter slot perfectly.
But why does it feel so tricky?
Constructors love it because "queen" acts as a misnomer. They want you to think about monarchy or perhaps a hive of bees. If you’ve been stuck on this clue for more than five minutes, you’ve probably been searching for words like REBELS, KNIGHTS, or DRONES. That’s the trap.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Connections Hint Dec 31 Puzzle is Giving Everyone Trust Issues
Other Variants You Might See
Depending on the length of the grid and the specific puzzle's difficulty, "competition for queens" can take a few other forms. Don't get married to PAGEANT if the letters aren't lining up.
- BEE (3 letters): If the clue is "Competition for potential queens," think biology. A hive only has room for one.
- CHESS (5 letters): Sometimes the "competition" isn't for the title of queen, but a game involving the piece.
- DRAG RACE (8 letters): In more modern, "indie" crosswords or the New Yorker style grids, the "queens" in question are drag queens. RuPaul has officially entered the crossword lexicon.
- RODEO (5 letters): Don't forget the "Rodeo Queen." It’s a niche but valid crossword trope.
Why "Pageant" is the Constructor's Favorite
Crossword construction is basically a game of "how can I describe a common word using an uncommon lens?"
Will Shortz and other editors look for clues that have a dual meaning. A pageant is a very specific type of event, but calling it a "competition for queens" makes it sound grander, more regal, and—most importantly—more confusing.
Kinda clever, right?
If you’re looking at a Sunday-sized grid, the clue might even be part of a theme. If there are other royal clues nearby (like "King's home" for ARENA), then "competition for queens" is almost certainly PAGEANT.
How to Solve These Faster Next Time
If you want to stop getting stuck on these types of clues, you have to start thinking in "Crosswordese." This is the dialect of words that appear way more often in puzzles than they do in real life.
- Look at the pluralization. The clue says "queens" (plural), so the competition must be an event that produces them or involves them.
- Check the "pun" factor. If the clue has a question mark at the end—like Competition for queens?—it's 100% a pun. This tells you the word "queen" is being used in a non-traditional way.
- Cross-reference your vowels. PAGEANT is heavy on vowels (A, E, A). If you have the 'G' or the 'N' from a vertical clue, you're basically home free.
What About "LinkedIn Queens"?
Lately, there's been a surge in people searching for "competition for queens" because of the LinkedIn Queens game. If you're here because of that, you're looking for a logic puzzle, not a word puzzle.
In that game, the "competition" is basically a battle of constraints. You have to place queens on a grid so they don't attack each other—similar to the classic "8 Queens" problem in computer science and chess. It’s a game of elimination. You aren't looking for a synonym; you're looking for a coordinate.
💡 You might also like: What School Does Biofrost Go To: The Truth About His Education
Your Next Steps
The next time you see competition for queens crossword, don't reach for a history book. Reach for your memories of Miss Universe or local community festivals.
- Count the squares first. If it's 7, write in PAGEANT lightly in pencil.
- Check the intersecting clues for a 'G' or a 'T'.
- If the puzzle is particularly "hip," keep DRAG RACE in the back of your mind.
Honestly, the best way to get better at this is to keep a mental list of these "trap" words. Once you realize "queen" often means "beauty contestant" or "chess piece" in the world of crosswords, you'll start flying through your Monday and Tuesday puzzles.
Go back to your grid. Look at those empty seven boxes. Try P-A-G-E-A-N-T. I bet the rest of that corner suddenly makes a lot more sense.