You’re sitting there with a coffee, staring at a half-finished Sunday puzzle, and you hit that one clue. Technique for making waves crossword. It’s short. It feels like it should be easy. But your brain immediately goes to physics, or maybe surfing, or that one time you tried to use a curling iron and ended up with a singed forehead.
Honestly, crossword constructors are kind of devious. They love words that function as both a verb and a noun, and "waves" is one of those trap words that can lead you down a dozen different paths. If you've been stuck on this, you're definitely not alone. It’s one of those "aha!" moments that makes you want to toss your pencil across the room once the answer finally clicks.
The Most Common Answer: PERM
Most of the time, the answer Google is looking for is PERM.
Short for permanent wave, this is the classic 1980s hair treatment that has made a massive, somewhat unexpected comeback in recent years. In the context of a crossword, "technique for making waves" is a literal definition of a chemical process used in salons.
Why does this trip people up? Because we don't really use the full phrase "permanent wave" in daily conversation anymore. We just say "I got a perm." When you see "technique" in a clue, your brain looks for something more technical or perhaps artistic, like staccato in music or pointillism in art. It rarely jumps straight to a bottle of thioglycolate acid and some plastic rollers.
If the slot is four letters long, and you have a 'P' or an 'M' as a cross-letter, you can bet your bottom dollar it's PERM.
Why the clue works so well
Crossword editors like Will Shortz at the New York Times or Patti Varol at the Los Angeles Times look for "misdirection." Misdirection is the bread and butter of a good puzzle. By using the word "waves," they are hoping you think about the ocean. They want you to think about boat wakes or perhaps a stadium crowd doing "The Wave."
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When you finally realize they’re talking about hair, the "wave" becomes a physical shape rather than a motion. That’s the trick.
Other Likely Candidates: MARCEL and ETCHING
Sometimes, the puzzle isn't looking for a four-letter word. If you're working on a more difficult "themeless" Friday puzzle or a cryptic, the technique for making waves crossword answer might be a bit more obscure.
MARCEL is a big one.
The Marcel wave is a hair-styling technique that involves using hot curling tongs to create deep, feminine waves. It was huge in the 1920s and 30s. If you’ve ever watched a movie set in the Jazz Age, those finger-wave styles are often Marcels. It’s a six-letter word that shows up frequently in puzzles because of that helpful vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant structure.
Then you have ETCHING.
Wait, etching? Yeah, it sounds weird. But in certain artistic contexts, specifically in printmaking or metalwork, creating a series of "waves" or "undulations" is a specific technique. It’s less common than PERM, but it’s a valid "technique for making waves" if the clue is leaning toward the arts.
- SET - If it’s three letters, it’s probably "set," as in a hair-set.
- WAKE - If the clue mentions a boat or a ship, the technique for making waves is simply the movement of the vessel.
- COIF - Occasionally used to describe the broader act of styling hair into waves.
The Physics Side of the Puzzle
Sometimes the crossword isn't about hair at all. If the clue is "Technique for making waves?" (note the question mark—that usually indicates a pun or a literal-metaphorical flip), it might refer to something like INTERFERENCE or OSCILLATION.
In the world of physics, creating waves—whether they are sound, light, or water—requires specific actions.
- OSCILLATE: To move back and forth at a regular speed.
- PULSE: A single vibration or short burst.
- EMIT: To discharge or give off (like a radio tower emitting waves).
If you’re staring at a massive 11-letter gap, you might be looking at PROPAGATION. This is the formal term for how waves travel through a medium. It’s a "technique" in the sense that it’s the mechanism by which waves exist.
Reading the Clue's Subtext
You've got to look at the surrounding clues to figure out the "vibe" of the puzzle. Is it a pop-culture heavy puzzle? Then it's probably hair-related. Is it a science-leaning puzzle? Look toward physics.
One thing I've noticed after doing thousands of these is that the "technique for making waves" can also be metaphorical. Think about "making waves" as in causing a stir or creating trouble.
In that case, the answer might be AGITATING or PROVOKING.
Crosswords love to play with the literal vs. the figurative. If the clue doesn't have a question mark, it's usually the literal hair definition. If it does have a question mark, start thinking about troublemakers and rebels.
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How to Solve This Clue Every Time
If you find yourself stuck on this specific clue again, don't panic. Here is the mental checklist you should run through:
Check the letter count first. If it's 4, try PERM. If it's 6, try MARCEL.
Look at the crosses. Does the second letter need to be an 'E'? Then it's almost certainly PERM. Does it need to be an 'A'? Marcel is your best bet.
Identify the context. Is the puzzle from a source that likes "old-timey" clues? The New Yorker or the NYT Sunday often use vintage terms like Marcel. Is it a quick "coffee break" puzzle? It’s probably PERM.
Think about the "Wave." Is it water? (WAKE). Is it hair? (SET, PERM, MARCEL). Is it metaphorical? (AGITATE).
Honestly, the best way to get better at these is just to see the clue a hundred times. Eventually, your brain stops thinking about the ocean and immediately starts thinking about hair rollers. That’s the "crossword brain" shifting into gear.
Moving Past the Wave
Once you've filled in PERM or MARCEL, you’ll usually find that the intersecting words start falling into place. The 'P' in PERM might lead you to "PIANO" for a music clue, or the 'M' in MARCEL might help you find "MOTTO" for a slogan clue.
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Don't let one tricky clue ruin the flow of your solve. Crosswords are about momentum. If "technique for making waves" is holding you up, leave it blank, solve the words around it, and let the letters tell you what the answer is.
Next time you see this, you’ll be ready. Whether it’s a chemical treatment from the 80s or a 1920s fashion statement, you’ve got the toolkit to solve it.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the crosses: Fill in at least two intersecting words before committing to PERM or MARCEL to ensure the vowels align.
- Scan for punctuation: A question mark at the end of the clue almost always means you should look for a pun or a metaphorical meaning like "agitating."
- Reference the era: If the crossword is themed around history or old Hollywood, prioritize MARCEL over modern terms.
- Build a personal word bank: Keep a mental or digital note of "repeater" clues like this one; PERM is one of the most common "fill" words in American crosswords due to its helpful letters.