You’ve been there. You’re sitting with the Sunday New York Times or maybe just scrolling through the daily LA Times puzzle on your phone, and you hit a wall. It’s a four or five-letter word. The clue is "wore away." You’ve got an E and maybe an O. Is it ERODE? Is it EDITED? No, that’s too long. Crosswords are a weird psychological game where the simplest phrases often hide the most frustrating answers.
Solving a wore away crossword clue isn't just about knowing your vocabulary; it’s about understanding the specific "crosswordese" dialect that constructors love to use. Sometimes the answer is literal. Sometimes it’s a bit more metaphorical. If you’ve ever felt like your brain was literally being worn away by a particularly stubborn grid, you aren't alone. It happens to the best solvers.
Why This Clue is Such a Headache
The English language is messy. We have a dozen ways to describe the gradual destruction of something. Because "wore away" is a past-tense phrase, your answer almost certainly has to end in -ED or -ODED. But constructors are sneaky. They might be looking for ERODED, but they could just as easily be looking for ABRADED or even ATE AT.
Honestly, the context of the surrounding squares is your only real North Star. If the clue is just two words, you have zero hints about the "flavor" of the answer. Is it geological? Is it emotional? Is it about a pair of old jeans? Most people jump straight to "ERODED" because it's the most common filler in the crossword world. It’s got those high-frequency vowels (E, O, E) that help connect the vertical clues. But when that doesn't fit, panic sets in.
The Most Common Culprits
If you are staring at a blank space for wore away crossword clue, here is the reality of what usually fits.
ERODED is the king. It shows up in puzzles more than almost any other synonym. Why? Because the letter E and the letter R are incredibly easy for constructors to build around. If the clue is five letters, look for ERODE. If it’s six, ERODED is your primary suspect.
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Then you have ABRADED. This one is a bit more "scary" for casual solvers. It feels technical. It implies friction—like sandpaper on wood or a rough sea against a hull. If you see "wore away" and the answer starts with an A, try this. It’s a favorite of the more difficult Saturday puzzles where the vocabulary gets a bit more academic.
ATE AT is the curveball. It’s a phrasal verb. Crossword constructors love these because they use common letters but the space in the middle (which isn't shown in the grid) trips people up. If you have a five-letter space and the second letter is a T, you are likely looking at ATE AT. It describes how a nagging feeling—or acid—slowly destroys something. It's more evocative than a simple scientific term.
Less Frequent But Likely Answers
- FRAYED: Usually refers to fabric. If the clue mentions "wore away at the edges," this is your winner.
- WASHED: Often used in the context of "washed away" by water or tide.
- RASPED: Similar to abraded but with a more violent, grating connotation.
- EATEN: As in "eaten away." If the grid requires five letters and ERODE doesn't work, check the vowels for this one.
The Science of Crossword Construction
To understand why you keep seeing these clues, you have to think like a constructor. People like Will Shortz or the editors at the Wall Street Journal aren't just trying to test your knowledge; they are trying to fit words into a grid that has very strict rules. Every "Down" word has to intersect perfectly with every "Across" word.
This leads to something called "Crosswordese." These are words that exist in the real world but are ten times more common in puzzles because they have "friendly" letters. "ERODE" is the gold standard of crosswordese. It’s 60% vowels. If a constructor has a difficult corner with a lot of consonants, they will almost always use a word like ERODE or AREA or ETUI to balance it out.
When you see "wore away," the constructor is often giving you a "gimme." They want you to get those vowels so you can solve the harder, more unique words nearby. But it only works if you recognize the pattern.
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How Context Changes the Game
Crossword clues often have "indicators." If the clue has a question mark at the end, like "Wore away?," the answer might be a pun. It might not be about physical erosion at all. It could be "TIRED," as in wearing someone out. Or it could be "EDGED," as in slowly moving or wearing down a margin.
Always look at the tense. This is a rookie mistake that even seasoned vets make when they are rushing. If the clue is "Wears away," the answer must be ERODES (present tense). If the clue is "Wearing away," you are looking for ERODING (participle). The clue "Wore away" is past tense, so your answer must be past tense. If you try to shove "ERODE" into a six-letter slot, you're going to have a bad time.
Strategies for the Stuck Solver
If you’ve tried ERODED and ABRADED and ATE AT and nothing is working, it’s time to use the "cross-check" method. Look at the letters you do have from the intersecting clues.
- Check the third letter. In many five and six-letter synonyms for this clue, the third letter is a pivot point. In ERODED, it’s an O. In ABRADED, it’s an R. In ATE AT, it’s an E.
- Look for the "at." If the clue is two words and the answer is five letters, there is a very high statistical probability that the last two letters are AT.
- Think about the medium. Is the thing being "worn away" stone? (ERODED). Skin? (CHAFED). Cloth? (FRAYED). Your patience? (TAXED or TRIED).
The Evolution of the Clue
Interestingly, the way these clues are written has changed over the decades. Back in the mid-20th century, crossword clues were very dry and dictionary-based. "Wore away" would almost always lead to "ERODED."
Today, constructors are more playful. They might use a clue like "Emulated the Grand Canyon's creation" to get you to "ERODED." Or "What the river did to the bank." It’s the same answer, but the "wore away" part is implied. Modern puzzles value "aha!" moments over rote memorization. If you're solving a modern indie puzzle from a site like AVC Club or Crossword Club, expect the clue to be much more conversational and less literal.
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Real World Examples from Major Puzzles
Let's look at some actual data from recent years. In the New York Times crossword database:
- "Wore away" appeared and the answer was ERODED dozens of times.
- "Wore away, as soil" almost always leads to ERODED.
- "Wore away by friction" frequently leads to ABRADED.
- "Slowly wore away" often leads to ATE AT.
This isn't just a coincidence; it's a standard. When you see these specific phrases, you can almost fill in the letters without looking at the rest of the grid.
Final Insights for Your Next Puzzle
Don't let a simple clue like "wore away" ruin your streak. Most of the time, the simplest answer is the correct one. Start with the most common crosswordese and work your way out.
Actionable Steps:
- Count the squares first. Five squares? Try ERODE or ATE AT. Six squares? ERODED is your best bet. Seven squares? Think about ABRADED.
- Check the tense. Match the -ED or -S endings perfectly with the clue.
- Verify the vowels. If you have an 'O' in the second or third position, it's almost certainly ERODE or ERODED.
- Don't overthink it. Most daily puzzles aren't trying to trick you with a "wore away" clue; they are using it as a "bridge" to help you solve the more interesting words in the corner.
If you're still stuck, look at the clues around it. Sometimes solving a simple three-letter word like "EGG" or "THE" will give you that one crucial letter that reveals whether the answer is scientific (ERODED) or idiomatic (ATE AT). Keep a mental list of these "hinge words" and you'll find your solving time dropping significantly.