You're staring at a grid. It's Sunday morning, the coffee is getting cold, and you have four empty boxes mocking you. The clue says "Bargain." Simple, right? Except it isn't. In the world of cryptic crosswords and the New York Times daily puzzle, a simple word like "bargain" can morph into a dozen different things depending on the constructor's mood. Sometimes they want a verb. Sometimes it's a noun. Occasionally, it's a piece of slang from the 1920s that nobody has used in fifty years.
Crosswords are basically a battle of wits between you and people like Will Shortz or the folks at The Guardian. They love synonyms that hide in plain sight. When you search for a bargain for crossword clue solution, you aren't just looking for a word; you're looking for the specific "flavor" of that word that fits the surrounding letters. If you have an "S" and an "L" already placed, the answer is probably "STEAL." If you have an "A," it might be "AGREE."
The Most Common Answers for Bargain
Most of the time, the answer is "STEAL." It’s the classic four-letter go-to for a great price. You see it in the NYT and the LA Times constantly. But what if that doesn't fit? Crossword puzzles rely heavily on the length of the word, so you have to be ready to pivot.
If the clue is looking for a five-letter word, you’re likely looking at DEAL. It's the most functional version of the word. You bargain to reach a deal. You strike a deal. It’s clean, efficient, and shows up in nearly 15% of all "bargain" related clues across major publications over the last decade. Then there is AGREE. This is the verb form. To bargain is to negotiate, and the end goal of any negotiation is to agree on terms. It’s a bit of a lateral move, but that’s how constructors' brains work. They want to trip you up by moving from a noun to a verb without telling you.
Other frequent flyers include HAGGLE. This one is fun. It's evocative. It implies the back-and-forth of a street market. If your puzzle has a bit of a British bent or is a Sunday "jumbo," haggle is a top-tier candidate. Then there’s ADDEE, which is rarer, or BUENO in specific themed puzzles. Honestly, though, you should check for ARRANGE or COVENANT if the grid is looking for something longer and more formal.
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Why Crossword Constructors Love This Word
Constructors love "bargain" because it's a "chameleon word." In linguistics, we call these polysemous words—words with multiple meanings that are related but distinct. A bargain is an object (a cheap sweater), a process (the act of negotiating), and a contract (a legal agreement). This flexibility allows a puzzle creator to use the same clue for "STEAL," "DICKE," or "NEGOTIATE" depending on the difficulty level of the day.
Monday puzzles are usually straightforward. You’ll get "STEAL." Saturday puzzles? They might give you "DICKE" (to dicker) or even "ORLOP" if they’re feeling particularly cruel and working a nautical theme into the mix, though that’s reaching. The trick is to look at the tense. If the clue is "Bargained," the answer must end in -ED, like AGREED or TRADED. If it's "Bargaining," look for HAGGLING.
Breaking Down the Lengths
Let's look at the specific counts because that's how your brain is actually processing the grid.
Three-Letter Answers
- GET: Simple, tiny, and often used as a synonym for a good find.
- BUY: More about the transaction itself.
Four-Letter Answers
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- DEAL: The gold standard.
- SALE: Sometimes the "bargain" is the event itself.
- SHOP: A bit of a stretch, but it appears in lower-tier puzzles.
- SNAG: "That's a real snag." It’s colloquial.
Five-Letter Answers
- STEAL: The most satisfying one to write in.
- AGREE: The act of coming to terms.
- CHEEP: A punny way to say "cheap" (often seen in bird-themed puzzles).
- TRADE: Swapping one thing for another.
Six Letters and More
- HAGGLE: Six letters. Very common in mid-week puzzles.
- DICKER: Six letters. A bit old-fashioned but very common in the Universal or USA Today puzzles.
- NEGOTIATE: Nine letters. This is for the big sections.
The Cryptic Crossword Twist
Now, if you’re playing a British-style cryptic crossword, the rules change entirely. A "bargain for crossword clue" in a cryptic might not want a synonym at all. It might be an anagram. For example, if the clue is "Bargain for a piece of fruit (4)," the answer might be PEAR (a homophone for "pair," which is a bargain/set? No, that’s weak). Actually, a better cryptic clue would be "Bargain found in the middle of a small town (4)." The answer would be MART, because it's inside the word "market."
In cryptics, "bargain" could also be a "container" indicator. If you see "Bargain" in a clue, it might mean you need to put one word inside another. Or it could be a hidden word. "Some urban bargains (3)" could lead you to BAN, hidden inside "urBAN." This is why people get so frustrated with the London Times puzzle. You have to think three layers deep.
Real Examples from Recent Puzzles
Let's look at some actual data from the last few years. In a 2023 NYT puzzle, the clue "Bargain hunter's quest" led to DEALS. In a 2024 Wall Street Journal puzzle, "Bargain" simply led to HAGGLE.
There’s a famous instance where the clue was "Bargain-basement," and the answer was ELCHEAPO. That’s the kind of stuff that makes you want to throw your pen across the room. It’s slangy, it’s nine letters, and it relies on you knowing a specific informal phrase. But that’s the beauty of it. You’re learning the "language" of the person who wrote the puzzle.
How to Solve It When You're Stuck
When you're staring at those blank squares and "STEAL" doesn't work, you need a strategy. Don't just keep guessing synonyms.
First, check the cross-references. What are the letters you know are right? If the second letter is an "I," you're almost certainly looking at DICKER. If the third letter is a "G," it’s HAGGLE. Crosswords are a game of intersections. If you're 100% sure about the down clue that crosses your "bargain" word, use that letter as an anchor.
Second, think about the part of speech. Is "bargain" a noun (a thing you bought) or a verb (something you are doing)? If the clue is "To bargain," you need a verb like PALAVER or BARTER. If the clue is "What a bargain!" you need a noun.
Third, consider the "theme" of the puzzle. If the puzzle is titled "Down the Shore," the bargain might be something related to the boardwalk. Puzzles usually have a cohesive internal logic. If the whole puzzle is full of 1950s references, the answer might be something like STEAL OF A DEAL if it’s a long-form answer.
Beyond the Grid: Why We Care
There is a psychological reason we love finding the answer to a bargain for crossword clue. It’s the "Aha!" moment. Scientists have actually studied this. When you solve a difficult clue, your brain releases a hit of dopamine. It’s a micro-reward for pattern recognition. Using a word like "bargain"—which is so common—and finding a weird synonym for it feels like winning a very small, very quiet war.
It also keeps your vocabulary sharp. Most people don't use the word "dicker" in daily conversation unless they are at an antique show in rural Pennsylvania. But in a crossword, it’s a vital tool. You’re maintaining a library of "dead words" that only live within the confines of a 15x15 grid.
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Practical Steps for Your Next Puzzle
If you want to get better at spotting these, you should do three things.
- Keep a "cheat sheet" of common synonyms. Don't feel bad about looking them up. That’s how you learn. Eventually, you won't need the list because your brain will automatically associate "Bargain" with "STEAL," "DEAL," and "HAGGLE."
- Pay attention to the constructor. Some writers have "tells." If you see a puzzle by a certain person, you’ll start to realize they love using certain words over and over.
- Use a digital solver as a last resort. If you’re really stuck, sites like Crossword Tracker can show you every time a certain clue has been used in the last twenty years. It’s a great way to see the evolution of the word.
The next time you see "Bargain" in your morning puzzle, don't just jump to "STEAL." Count the boxes. Check the tense. Look for the "hidden" verb. Once you master the different faces of this clue, you'll find that the rest of the grid starts to fall into place much faster.
Focus on the vowels first. In "bargain" synonyms, the vowels are usually the anchors. If you see an A and an E, you're likely looking at DEAL or SALE. If you see an I, it’s DICKER. Map the vowels, and the consonants will follow. Happy hunting.
Actionable Insights for Solvers:
- Always identify the part of speech (noun vs. verb) before trying synonyms.
- For 4-letter clues, prioritize DEAL or SALE; for 5-letters, try STEAL.
- Check for "indicator" words in cryptics that suggest "bargain" is part of an anagram or hidden word.
- Maintain a mental list of "crosswordese" like DICKER or BARTER which rarely appear in speech but frequently appear in grids.