Crossword Clue: ABBA distress-signal hit
Here's the answer to the ABBA distress-signal hit crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: SOS
SOS solves the clue "ABBA distress-signal hit". Spanning 3 letters (1 vowel, 2 consonants), it begins at S and ends at S. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
'SOS' is a 1975 hit single by the Swedish group ABBA. The song is notable for being a palindrome, as both the title and the band's name read the same forwards and backwards.
Common usage
Sos turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like SOS interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 3-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 3 letters, SOS shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of SOS's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue SOS — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'ABBA distress-signal hit' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in SOS almost immediately."
- "Once the S was confirmed by the crossing word, SOS was the only entry that fit."
- "A 3-letter slot and a clue like 'ABBA distress-signal hit'? That's SOS nine times out of ten."