| Theme Type |
Times Used |
Description |
| Category Members | 637 | Entries or words that are members of a specific category.
|
| Synonyms | 259 | Theme entries or words within theme entries that have like meanings. |
| Combined Types | 178 | Combination of two or more theme types.
|
| Additions | 141 | Theme entries created by adding a letter, letters, or word to a word or phrase.
|
| Quips and Quotes | 138 | Theme entries reveal a quip or quote revealed in order.
|
| Puns | 132 | Theme relies on the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound |
| Substitutions | 112 | One letter, group of letters, or word(s) is(are) substituted for another in the theme entries. |
| Sequence | 106 | Series of words or phrases that produce a sequence from theme entry to theme entry. Word ladders (series of words that change one letter to move from one word to the next - invention of Lewis Carroll) are a special type of sequence. |
| Rebus | 101 | Theme entries contain a segment that consists of a picture or string of letters to be entered in a single square. |
| Containers | 86 | Theme entries contain a \"hidden\" word or letter sequence
|
| Stacked 15s | 81 | Fifteen-letter entries stacked on each other in a usually themeless puzzle |
| Definitions | 75 | Theme entries are in the form of a definition, while the clues are usually related and carry the theme. |
| Other | 71 | test test |
| Deletions | 52 | Theme entries created by deleting a letter, sound, or word from a word or phrase. |
| Rhyme | 51 | Theme entries or words within the entries that rhyme. |
| Compounds | 47 | Words used in theme entries that can come before or after a target word.
|
| Repetition | 40 | Theme entries contain repeated words or sounds |
| Tribute | 33 | Theme entries create a puzzle tribute to person or place. |
| Homophones | 32 | Theme entries have words that sound like other words. |
| Double/Triple Letters | 28 | Words or phrases containing double or triple letters are featured. |
| Holidays and Special Occasions | 28 | Theme is related to the day in which it appears. |
| Mini theme | 26 | Two related major entries in an otherwise themeless puzzle |
| Anagram / Scramble | 23 | All or portion of each theme entry is scrambled. |
| Alliterations | 22 | Theme entries are two-word (or more) phrases that have a common first letter or letter combination. |
| Featured Letter(s) | 21 | Entries feature or highlight a given letter or group of letters |
| Proper Name Play | 19 | Theme involves play with proper names |
| Switch | 17 | Letters or words within theme entry phrases switch positions. |
| String / Chain | 14 | Theme entries formed of individual words in end-to-end fashion forming a string or chain |
| Pairs / Triplets / nTuplets | 12 | Theme entries are formed by adding together two or more words/phrases in the same category. |
| Positional | 12 | Theme entries are positioned in specific grid locations or are positioned relative to each other. |
| Language / Accent | 11 | Theme entries use another language, accent, or manner of speech |
| Antonyms | 10 | Theme entries have opposite meanings or contain words that have opposite meanings.
|
| Redivision | 10 | Theme entries are regular phrases clued as if the division between words were different than usual. |
| Shared Centers | 10 | Two words or phrases that share an intervening word or segment. |
| Punchlines | 9 | theme entries are punchlines led into by the clues. |
| Verse | 9 | Theme entries combine to create a verse, poem, limerick, or other similar form. |
| Jokes / Riddles | 8 | Jokes or riddles is carried out by the theme entries |
| Grid design | 7 | The arrangement of black and white squares plays into the theme. |
| Reversals | 7 | Part or all of the theme entries are in reverse. |
| Shared Initials | 7 | Theme entries are phrases that share the same initial letters, excluding alliterations. |
| Direction change | 6 | Entries change direction as they are entered in the grid. |
| Palindromes | 4 | Theme entries reads same forward and backward. |
| Bookends | 3 | Starting and ending letters form a word or starting and ending words form a phrase in each theme entry. |
| Shift | 3 | theme entries consistently shift letter(s) or word(s) |
| Spoonerisms | 2 | Spoonerisms are phrases or words with swapped sounds. The name Spoonerism comes from the Reverend William Archibald Spooner who is reputed to have been particularly prone to making this type of verbal slip. |
