You're staring at the grid. The black-and-white squares are mocking you. You’ve got five letters, maybe six, and the clue just says "In a way." It’s vague. It’s annoying. Honestly, it’s one of those clues that makes you want to toss your Sunday Times across the room.
Crossword constructors love this kind of wordplay because it’s a linguistic chameleon. It can mean a dozen different things depending on the context of the surrounding answers. You think you’ve got it, then you realize the "in a way" crossword clue is actually asking for a specific adverb or a prepositional phrase you haven't thought of in years.
The Most Common Answers for In a Way
When you see "In a way" in a New York Times or LA Times crossword, your brain should immediately jump to AS IT WERE. That’s the classic. It fits that pseudo-intellectual, slightly formal vibe that constructors like Will Shortz have cultivated over decades.
But it’s not always that fancy.
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Sometimes the answer is just SORTA. Or KIND OF. If the clue is looking for something more structural, you might be looking at IN PART.
I’ve spent way too many hours analyzing these patterns. You start to see the personality of the constructor bleeding through the grid. Some prefer the colloquialisms; others want the Latinate roots. If you’re stuck on a Tuesday puzzle, it’s probably SORTA. If it’s a Saturday stumper, you’re likely looking for something like SO TO SPEAK or even the elusive QUALIFIEDLY.
Let's talk about SO TO SPEAK. It’s a favorite because it fills ten slots. In the world of crossword construction, ten-letter phrases that use common vowels are gold. You have the S, the T, the O, and the E. It’s a grid-filler’s dream, which is exactly why you see it so often when the clue is "In a way."
Why Vague Clues Are Getting Harder
Crosswords have changed. Back in the day, clues were more like definitions. You’d see "Large African mammal" and write in ELEPHANT. Easy. Now, the "New Wave" of construction—pioneered by folks like Brendan Emmett Quigley and Elizabeth Gorski—uses "vague-booking" clues to increase difficulty without using obscure trivia.
The "in a way" crossword clue is a prime example of this shift. It’s not testing your knowledge of 14th-century poets. It’s testing your ability to handle ambiguity.
Think about the phrase AFTER A FASHION. It’s a mouthful. It’s rhythmic. It also fits the "in a way" definition perfectly but in a slightly dismissive tone. If someone says they can cook "after a fashion," it means they can scramble an egg but don't expect a soufflé. Crossword clues often hide these tonal shifts right in plain sight.
Semantic Variations to Watch For
Sometimes the clue isn't "In a way" verbatim. It might be "In some fashion" or "To an extent."
If you see "To an extent," the answer is almost certainly IN PART or UP TO A POINT. These are the cousins of our main keyword. They live in the same neighborhood of the brain.
- AS IF: Only four letters, often used when the clue is "In a way, seemingly."
- MODO: If the puzzle is feeling particularly pretentious or uses Latin phrases.
- IN SENSE: Usually part of a larger phrase like "in a sense," but sometimes "A SENSE" fits if the clue is phrased "In ___ way."
You've got to be flexible. If you’re stubborn and insist that the answer must be an adverb, you’re going to get stuck. Crosswords are about fluid thinking.
The Psychology of the Solve
Why does this specific clue frustrate us? It’s the lack of a "hook."
Most clues give you a category. "Type of bird" gives you a mental file cabinet to open. "In a way" gives you nothing. It’s an empty room. You have to build the furniture yourself using the cross-references (the "down" clues that intersect your "across" answer).
I remember a 2022 puzzle where the clue was simply "In a way." The answer was STREETSIDE.
Talk about a curveball. In that context, "way" literally meant a road or a path. This is the "cruciverbalist’s trick." They take a metaphorical phrase and turn it literal. If you were looking for an adverb like "partially," you were doomed. You had to think about physical geography.
Pro Tips for Cracking the Grid
Stop looking at the clue in isolation. Seriously. If you’re staring at "in a way" and you have no letters, move on. You’re wasting mental energy.
Fill in the "fillers" first. Look for the three-letter words nearby. Look for pluralizations that usually end in S. Once you have two or three letters of that "in a way" answer, the pattern recognition part of your brain will kick in.
If you see an S and a T near the beginning, start testing SORTA.
If there’s a Q anywhere in the middle, it’s probably SO TO SPEAK (well, no, but maybe it's part of a different word). Actually, if you see a Q, you’re probably looking at QUALIFIEDLY, though that’s rare.
More likely, a W in the middle points toward AS IT WERE.
Real World Examples from Recent Puzzles
Let's look at some data from the major outlets over the last few years.
In a 2023 NYT Sunday puzzle, "In a way" led to SO TO SAY.
In a 2024 Wall Street Journal puzzle, the same clue resulted in IN A SENSE.
A Los Angeles Times puzzle recently used OF A SORT.
These aren't just random guesses. They are established "crosswordese." Just like "ERA" is always the answer for "Stat for a pitcher," these phrases are the bread and butter of puzzle construction.
Common Misconceptions
People think these clues are "fillers" because the constructor got lazy. That’s actually rarely the case. Usually, a vague clue like "in a way" is used because the letters in that section of the grid were incredibly difficult to harmonize.
The constructor likely had a theme answer nearby that used weird letters—like a Z or a K—and they needed a flexible phrase to bridge the gap. "In a way" is the ultimate bridge. It can justify almost any adverbial phrase.
It’s not laziness; it’s engineering.
How to Improve Your Solve Time
If you want to get faster, you need to build a mental library of these short, functional phrases.
- Read the clues out loud. Sometimes the cadence of the clue helps you hear the answer. "In a way..." "As it were." They have a similar linguistic "weight."
- Check the tense. While "In a way" is usually tense-neutral, make sure your answer doesn't accidentally turn into a past-tense verb if the clue doesn't call for it.
- Watch the "ish". Sometimes the answer is just the suffix ISH. As in, "In a way" = "Small-ish" or "Blue-ish." It’s a bit of a cheat, but constructors use it.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Puzzle
The next time you encounter the "in a way" crossword clue, don't panic. Take a breath.
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Check the letter count immediately.
- 5 letters? Try SORTA or IN BIT.
- 6 letters? Try KIND OF or IN PART.
- 7 letters? Try AS IT WERE or IN SENSE.
- 8+ letters? Look for SO TO SPEAK or AFTER A FASHION.
If none of those work, look at the clues around it. If you find the "down" answers first, the "across" answer will reveal itself. Crosswords are a game of intersections, not just definitions.
Start keeping a "cheat sheet" of these common vague clues. You'll find that within a few months, you aren't even thinking about them anymore. Your hand will just start writing "AS IT WERE" the moment your eyes graze the clue.
That’s the secret to moving from a novice to an expert. It's not about knowing everything; it's about recognizing the tricks of the trade. The "in a way" crossword clue is the oldest trick in the book. Now you know how to beat it.
Master the small, annoying words, and the big, impressive ones will follow. Stick to the grid, keep your eraser handy, and remember that sometimes a "way" is just a road, and sometimes it's a state of mind. Turning that mental corner is what makes the hobby so addictive in the first place. Once you stop fearing the vague clues, you start winning the game.