You’re staring at the grid. It’s a Wednesday or maybe a tricky Thursday New York Times puzzle. The clue reads "near, in a way," and you've already tried "CLOSE" and "NIGH." Neither fits the five-letter space. It's frustrating. Honestly, crossword clues that use the phrase "in a way" are the absolute worst because they signal a pun, a specific prepositional use, or a synonym that only works in one very narrow context.
Crossword puzzles aren't just about vocabulary; they're about how words shift shape.
The answer most people are hunting for when they see near in a way is usually ALONG. Think about it. If you are "along" something, you are near it, or moving parallel to it. But it’s not the only answer. Depending on the constructor’s mood and the number of squares you need to fill, you might be looking at ASIDE, ABOUT, or even VERGE.
The Linguistic Gymnastics of Near In A Way Crossword Clues
Crossword constructors like Joel Fagliano or Will Shortz love the word "near" because it's a chameleon. It can be a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. When they add "in a way," they are basically giving you a wink. They're saying, "This isn't a direct synonym, so stop looking in your standard thesaurus."
Take the word ALONG. Most of us think of it as "moving forward." But if you say, "The trees are along the river," you are essentially saying they are "near" the river in a specific orientation. It’s a spatial relationship. This is the bread and butter of mid-week puzzles. They want to see if you can break out of your primary definitions.
Sometimes the answer is NISH. Okay, maybe not in the NYT, but in more casual British-style cryptics, adding "ish" to a word is a classic "in a way" move. But let's stick to the big ones. ABOUT is a frequent flyer. If you are "about" the town, you are near or within the vicinity. It’s archaic, sure, but crosswords live in a world where "ETUI" (a small needle case) is still common parlance.
Why We Struggle With Spatial Synonyms
Our brains aren't wired to find these quickly. We like 1:1 translations. Cat = Feline. Near = Close.
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When a puzzle asks for near in a way, it’s often testing your grasp of prepositions. Prepositions are the "glue" words of English, and they are notoriously slippery. According to linguists like Steven Pinker, our spatial language is one of the most complex parts of our cognition because it requires us to map physical reality onto abstract sounds. In a crossword, that map is distorted by the grid's constraints.
I’ve seen APPROX used as a shortened version of "near" when the clue is "Near, in a way (Abbr.)." If you don't see that "Abbr." tag, you’re going to be stuck for a while. It's all about the meta-data of the clue itself.
The Most Common Answers for Near In A Way
If you're stuck right now, look at your letter count. This isn't a definitive list, but it's the "usual suspects" list compiled from years of analyzing Rex Parker’s columns and the XWord Info database.
ALONG (5 Letters)
This is the heavyweight champion. It appears constantly. It’s almost always the answer if you have a five-letter slot starting with A.
ASIDE (5 Letters)
If you are "aside" something, you are near it, but specifically to the side. It's a directional "near."
NEARBY (6 Letters)
Sometimes the clue is just being literal. If it’s a Monday puzzle, don't overthink it. It might just be the most obvious synonym.
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VERGE (5 Letters)
This is more of a "near" in terms of time or state of being. "On the verge" means you are near the edge of an action. It's a clever way to use the clue.
NOT FAR (6 Letters, two words)
Multi-word answers are the bane of the amateur solver's existence. "Not far" is a literal, albeit annoying, answer for near in a way.
How to Solve These Without Losing Your Mind
First, look at the crosses. This sounds obvious, but when you have a vague clue like "near, in a way," you should never start there. You need the "anchor" words. These are the nouns and specific names that can only be one thing. Once you have the 'L' and the 'G' in ALONG, the answer reveals itself.
Second, check the tense. Is the clue "neared"? Then the answer must be "APPROACHED" or "CLOSES." The clue and the answer must always be interchangeable in a sentence. If you can't swap "near, in a way" with your answer in a phrase, it’s wrong.
Wait.
Actually, there’s an exception. Pun clues. If there is a question mark at the end of the clue—like "Near, in a way?"—then all bets are off. It could be something ridiculous like CLOSEST (as in a closet, which is a "way" or a path... okay, that’s a stretch, but you get the point).
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The Psychology of the "Aha!" Moment
There is a genuine dopamine hit when you finally realize that ALONG fits the "near" prompt. This is what keeps people coming back to the crossword every morning at 6:00 AM. It’s a small victory over a clever adversary—the constructor.
When you see "in a way," stop thinking about what the word is and start thinking about what the word does. "Near" describes a relationship. What other words describe a relationship between two objects in space? BY, AT, BESIDE, ADJACENT.
Crosswords are essentially a game of lateral thinking. You aren't being tested on your knowledge of the dictionary as much as your ability to see the connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.
Real Examples from Major Puzzles
In a 2022 Los Angeles Times crossword, the clue was "Near, in a way." The answer was ALONG.
In a 1998 NYT puzzle (yes, the archives go back forever), a similar clue led to NIGH.
You have to know the era of the puzzle you are solving. If you are doing a vintage puzzle from a book you found at a thrift store, "NIGH" or "ANENT" are much more likely than "ALONG" or "ABOUT." Modern puzzles favor conversational English. They want words you’d actually say while walking down the street, not words that belong in a Victorian novel.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Puzzle
To get better at identifying these "relational" clues, you should try a few specific strategies:
- Scan for the "A": A huge percentage of five-letter spatial clues in crosswords start with the letter A (Along, Aside, About, Aft, Abut). If you're stuck, pencil in an A and see if the crosses work.
- Identify the Part of Speech: Is "near" acting as a verb (to approach) or a preposition (close to)? "Near, in a way" almost always points to a preposition.
- Use a Crossword Database: If you’re truly stuck and it’s a practice run, sites like Wordplay or the XWord Info "Clue Finder" are invaluable. Search for "near" and see the 50 different ways it has been clued in the last decade.
- Don't Fear the Blank: If a clue has "in a way" or "sort of," skip it until you have at least two intersecting letters. These are "soft clues" designed to be solved via crosses, not by direct knowledge.
- Read the Constructor’s Notes: If you use the NYT Crossword app, read the "Wordplay" blog post for that day. They often explain the logic behind the most frustrating clues, which helps you learn the "voice" of different constructors.
Solving the near in a way crossword clue is about flexibility. Stop trying to find a perfect synonym and start looking for a word that shares the same neighborhood of meaning. Usually, that neighborhood is located right on the corner of "Along" and "Aside."