Crossword Clue: Gene Simmons's face-painted band
Here's the answer to the Gene Simmons's face-painted band crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: KISS
KISS solves the clue "Gene Simmons's face-painted band". Spanning 4 letters (1 vowel, 3 consonants), it begins at K 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
Kiss is the American rock band formed in New York in 1973, known for elaborate makeup and pyrotechnic stage shows. Their hits include 'Rock and Roll All Nite' and 'Detroit Rock City.'
Common usage
Kiss turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like KISS interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 4-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 4 letters, KISS 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 KISS'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 KISS — 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
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed KISS was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing KISS into the grid took no time at all."
- "Kiss is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."