It happens to everyone. You’re sitting there with your morning coffee, the New York Times crossword is staring you in the face, and you’re stuck on a four-letter word for "insult" or "sting." You look at the grid. You have a "B" and an "B." Suddenly, it clicks. Barb. Or maybe it's Slur. Or Dig. The hurtful remark crossword clue is one of those perennial favorites that constructors lean on because the English language is weirdly obsessed with different ways to be mean to one another in short, punchy words.
Crossword construction isn't just about being clever; it's about the math of the grid. If you're building a puzzle and you've got a tricky corner with high-value consonants like 'X' or 'Z,' you need "glue" words to hold the theme together. That’s why "hurtful remark" pops up so often. It fits perfectly into those tight spots where a constructor needs a three, four, or five-letter filler. Honestly, if you play enough, you start to see these clues as old friends rather than obstacles.
The Usual Suspects: Most Common Answers
When you see "hurtful remark" on the page, your brain should immediately cycle through a mental Rolodex of short synonyms. The most frequent flyer is BARB. It’s elegant. It’s sharp. It refers to the backward-facing point on a fishhook or an arrow, which is a pretty vivid metaphor for a comment that goes in easy but hurts when you try to pull it out. Constructors love it because of that 'B'—it's a solid letter that helps bridge different sections of the grid.
Then there’s DIG. Three letters. It’s a "jab" at someone. You’ve probably heard people say, "Was that a dig at me?" in real life. In the world of Will Shortz or the LA Times Crossword, "dig" is the bread and butter of the Monday or Tuesday puzzle. It’s straightforward. No tricks. Just a simple, monosyllabic way to describe a slight.
Sometimes the clue gets a bit more specific. If the clue is "biting remark," you might be looking at GIBE (sometimes spelled JIBE, though "gibe" is more common for insults). If it’s "caustic," you’re looking at SNIDE or SLUR. A SLUR is particularly heavy; it’s not just a joke at someone’s expense, but a damaging allegation or a derogatory term. It’s interesting how crosswords take these heavy, often painful human interactions and turn them into a spatial logic puzzle. It kind of strips the emotion out of the word and turns it into a structural component.
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Why Do Crosswords Use This Clue So Much?
Vowel density matters. If a constructor is stuck with a "U" and an "I," they might reach for QUIP. While a quip is technically just a witty remark, in the context of a crossword, it often gets clued as something slightly biting or sarcastic.
It’s about the "Latex" of crosswords—the flexible words that fill the gaps. SNEER is another big one. It’s five letters. It’s got two 'E's. In the English language, 'E' is the most common letter, so having a word like "sneer" in your back pocket is like having a wild card in poker. You’ll see "hurtful remark" or "scornful look" lead to "sneer" constantly because it helps the constructor finish the bottom-right corner of the map without having to redesign the whole thing.
The Psychology of the Solve
There is a weird satisfaction in solving these. You’re essentially decoding a person’s frustration. When you find the answer to a hurtful remark crossword clue, you’re identifying a human behavior. It’s relatable. Everyone has felt the sting of a BARB or the annoyance of a DIG.
According to crossword historians and enthusiasts at places like Crossword Fiend or Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle, these "commonplace" clues provide "aha" moments for beginners. If every clue was a deep dive into 18th-century Prussian history, nobody would play. We need the "barbs" and "digs" to give us the momentum to solve the harder stuff. It’s a confidence builder.
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Beyond the Basics: Tricky Variations
Sometimes the constructor wants to mess with you. They won't just say "hurtful remark." They'll use something like "Pointed comment?" The question mark is key. In crossword-speak, a question mark means there’s a pun or a literal interpretation involved.
- THORN: Usually clued as something in one’s side, but can occasionally represent a stinging remark.
- SHAFT: A more modern or slangy version of a "dig."
- CUT: Short, brutal, and fits in a three-letter space.
- PARTINGSHOT: This is for the big Sunday grids. It’s that last mean thing you say before walking out of a room.
I’ve seen SASS used too, though that’s usually clued as "backtalk." But if the remark is particularly sharp, "sass" fits the bill for a four-letter slot. You’ve gotta be flexible. If "BARB" doesn't fit, try "GIBE." If "GIBE" is too long, look for "DIG." It's basically a game of linguistic Tetris.
Dealing with "Crosswordese"
There’s a term for words that appear in puzzles way more often than they do in real life: Crosswordese. Words like ALOE, OREO, and ETUI (a needle case nobody has used since 1840). BARB and GIBE hover right on the edge of crosswordese. We use them, but maybe not as much as the New York Times thinks we do.
If you're trying to get better at solving, you have to embrace the crosswordese. You have to accept that "hurtful remark" is almost always going to be one of five or six words. Once you memorize that list, you stop being "hurt" by the clue and start seeing it as a freebie. It’s a foothold. You get those three or four letters, and suddenly the long 15-letter across clue becomes much easier to guess because you have the starting letters of its intersecting words.
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Strategy for the Sunday Grid
The Sunday grid is a different beast. It’s huge. The clues are more "punny." A hurtful remark crossword clue on a Sunday might be "Remark that's hard to swallow?" leading to something like BITTERPILL or a similarly long-form phrase.
- Look at the letter count first.
- Check the "crosses" (the words intersecting your target).
- Look for indicators of pluralization. If the clue is "Hurtful remarks," the answer probably ends in 'S'. That 'S' is a gift. Use it.
- Consider the tone. Is it a "Monday" puzzle (easy/literal) or a "Saturday" puzzle (vague/difficult)?
Expert Solving Insights
I spoke with a few seasoned solvers who spend their mornings on the Wordplay blog. They all say the same thing: don't overthink it. The simplest answer is usually the right one. If you're looking at a four-letter word and it starts with 'B,' don't try to find a more complex word than "barb."
The crossword is a conversation between the constructor and the solver. The constructor wants to challenge you, but they also want you to finish. They provide these common clues as "islands" of safety in a sea of more difficult trivia. When you see "hurtful remark," think of it as the constructor giving you a hand up.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
Stop getting frustrated when you hit a wall. Crosswords are a skill, not just an IQ test. Here is how you should handle these clues moving forward:
- Build a Mental Database: Write down the common "insult" synonyms. Keep them in a note on your phone. BARB, DIG, GIBE, SLUR, SNIDE, SNEER, CUT, QUIP.
- Check for Tense: If the clue is "Made a hurtful remark," the answer will likely end in -ED (like JEERED or GIBED).
- Use Outside Resources: If you're truly stuck, sites like Crossword Tracker or Rex Parker are great for learning the "why" behind an answer. It's not cheating if you're learning the patterns for next time.
- Practice with Themes: Often, if the puzzle has a theme about "points" or "sharpness," the hurtful remark answer will be something like THORN or NEEDLE. Context is everything.
The more you play, the more these clues become muscle memory. You'll see "Hurtful remark" and your hand will start writing "B-A-R-B" before you even consciously think about it. That's the beauty of the game. It’s a language of its own, and once you speak it, the grid starts to reveal its secrets much faster. No more staring blankly at the paper while your coffee gets cold. Just fill in the "barb" and move on to the next one.