You're staring at your phone or the morning paper, coffee getting cold, and there it is: put in danger crossword. Five letters? Six? Maybe eight? It's one of those clues that feels so simple it actually becomes a brick wall. You know the word is right on the tip of your tongue, but your brain keeps cycling through "risk" or "harm" and nothing fits the grid. Honestly, it’s frustrating. Crossword construction is a subtle art of manipulation, and editors like Will Shortz or the team at the New York Times love using "put in danger" because it has so many linguistic cousins.
Sometimes it’s a verb. Sometimes it’s a weirdly specific archaic term. If you’ve ever felt like the puzzle is personally gaslighting you, you aren't alone.
The Most Common Answers for Put in Danger
Let’s cut to the chase. If you are stuck right now, the answer you’re likely looking for is IMPERIL. It’s the gold standard of crossword answers for this specific clue. Why? Because it’s a seven-letter word that uses "I," "E," and "R"—vowels and common consonants that constructors use to bridge difficult sections of the grid.
But what if that doesn’t fit?
If the grid calls for six letters, the answer is almost certainly ENDANGER. It’s a bit literal, sure, but crosswords often hide the answer in plain sight by using a synonym that feels too obvious to be correct. For a five-letter slot, check if PERIL works, though usually, "peril" is a noun, and clues try to match the part of speech. If the clue is "Put in danger," the answer should be a verb. This is a rule most reputable outlets like The Wall Street Journal or The LA Times follow strictly. If the clue is "Puts in danger," you’re looking for IMPERILS or ENDANGERS. Always check that trailing "S."
The Sneaky Four-Letter Variations
Then there are the short ones. These are the real killers.
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RISK is the obvious four-letter choice. However, keep an eye out for AVIL. It’s rare, but it pops up in "indie" or British-style cryptic crosswords. More likely, you’ll see EXPOSE. While "expose" doesn't strictly mean "to put in danger" in every context, in the world of crosswords, if you expose someone to a threat, you’ve put them in danger. It's that kind of lateral thinking that separates the casual solvers from the people who finish the Saturday NYT in under twenty minutes.
Why Synonyms are a Minefield in Crosswords
Wordplay is the name of the game. When a constructor writes a clue, they aren't just looking for a dictionary definition. They're looking for a "vibe."
Take the word JEOPARDIZE. That’s a heavy hitter—ten letters. If you see "Put in danger" and you have a massive horizontal stretch to fill, that’s your guy. It’s a beautiful word for a constructor because it contains a "J" and a "Z." High-value Scrabble letters are the "spice" of a crossword grid. They make the construction more difficult but the solving experience much more rewarding. If you see a "Z" hanging out in a vertical clue nearby, start counting the squares for jeopardize.
Context Matters: Physical vs. Abstract Danger
Is the clue "Put in danger" or is it "Put in a dangerous position"?
That nuance changes everything. If it's about a position, the answer might be BETRAY. Think about a spy being "put in danger" by a double agent. Or perhaps STAKE, as in "at stake." This is where people get tripped up. They look for a direct synonym for the verb phrase when the constructor is actually thinking about a specific scenario.
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I’ve seen puzzles where the answer was MENACE. Is "menace" a perfect synonym for "put in danger"? Not exactly. To menace is to threaten. But in the loose, synonymous world of crosswords, they are often treated as interchangeable. It’s annoying, but it’s the reality of the game.
Understanding the Constructor's Mindset
Constructors are obsessed with "fill." Fill refers to the words that aren't the "theme" entries. Because "put in danger" leads to words with common letter patterns, it's a go-to filler clue.
Ben Tausig, a well-known figure in the crossword world and editor of the American Values Club Crossword, has often discussed how certain words become "crosswordese." These are words that appear more in puzzles than in real life. While IMPERIL isn't exactly obscure, it's definitely a word you see in a grid way more often than you hear it at a bar.
When you see a clue like this, you have to ask yourself: "What word does this person need to make the rest of this corner work?" If the corner has a lot of "E"s and "S"s, ENDANGER is the logistical winner.
The Impact of Modern Slang
In 2026, we’re seeing a shift. Crosswords are becoming more "vibe-heavy." A modern puzzle might use "Put in danger" to mean GHOSTED in a very specific, metaphorical social context, though that’s rare. More commonly, you’ll see ADVENTURE or VENTURE.
"To venture" is to put something at risk. It’s a softer way of putting something in danger. If you’re stuck, try thinking about the word from a financial perspective. IMPERILLING an investment. STAKING a claim. The English language is a mess of overlapping meanings, and the crossword is just a map of that mess.
Tips for Solving "Put in Danger" Every Time
Look, no one likes being stuck on a Wednesday puzzle. It’s humiliating. Here is the strategy I use when I hit a wall with this specific clue.
First, check the tense. "Put" is one of those annoying English words that is the same in the present and the past tense. "Yesterday I put the cat out" vs. "Today I put the cat out." If the cross-references (the vertical words) suggest a past tense—ending in "ED"—then your answer is probably IMPERILED or ENDANGERED.
Second, count your vowels. If you have an "I" and an "E" already in place, it’s IMPERIL. If you have an "A" and an "E," go with ENDANGER. It sounds simple because it is. Crosswords are a game of pattern recognition, not just vocabulary.
Third, look for "hidden" clues. Sometimes the clue isn't "Put in danger," but "Put in danger, perhaps." That "perhaps" or a question mark at the end of the clue is a signal. It means the constructor is being cute. The answer might be IMPERIL, but it could also be something like THREATEN or even INSECURE (if used as a verb in a very specific context).
Breaking Down the Variants by Letter Count:
- 4 Letters: RISK, PERL (rare)
- 5 Letters: PERIL, ADARE (very rare/archaic)
- 6 Letters: EXPOSE, MENACE, THREAT
- 7 Letters: IMPERIL, VENTURE
- 8 Letters: ENDANGER, JEOPARDY (as a root)
- 10 Letters: JEOPARDIZE
The Psychological Hook of the Crossword
Why do we care? Why are you reading an article about a three-word clue? Because the human brain hates an open loop. It's called the Zeigarnik Effect. It’s the psychological phenomenon where we remember uncompleted tasks better than completed ones. That empty white square in your grid is an uncompleted task, and it will itch at the back of your skull until you fill it.
Solving a clue like put in danger crossword provides a hit of dopamine. It’s a small victory over a nameless constructor who tried to outsmart you.
When you finally realize the answer is IMPERIL, it's not just that you found a word. It's that you decoded the logic of another human being. You navigated the trap they set. That’s why crosswords have survived the digital age. They are a one-on-one battle of wits.
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Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
Stop guessing and start analyzing. When you see "Put in danger" again—and you will, because it’s a classic—don't just start typing.
- Check the count immediately. 7 letters? Start with IMPERIL. 8 letters? ENDANGER.
- Look at the crossing vowels. Crosswords are built on vowels. If the second letter is 'M', you're golden with IMPERIL.
- Verify the tense. Look at the clues around it. If they are all past tense, your answer likely ends in -ED.
- Use a database if you’re truly desperate. Sites like Crossword Tracker or Rex Parker’s blog (for NYT specific puzzles) are lifesavers. There's no shame in it. We all do it.
- Read the clue out loud. Sometimes hearing the words "put in danger" helps you realize that "jeopardize" sounds more like what the grid needs than "endanger" does.
The next time you’re face-to-face with this clue, you won’t be the one in danger of failing the puzzle. You’ll have the toolkit to bridge that gap in the grid and move on to the trickier stuff—like whatever weird 1920s jazz singer the constructor decided to throw in the bottom right corner.