Crossword Clue: Beatles' 'Hey ___'
Here's the answer to the Beatles' 'Hey ___' crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: JUDE
The answer to "Beatles' 'Hey ___'" is JUDE. Jude runs 4 letters — 2 vowels and 2 consonants — opening with J and closing on E. In a grid it fills a 4-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
'Hey Jude' is a 1968 Beatles single written by Paul McCartney, originally to comfort John Lennon's son Julian. At over seven minutes, it was one of the longest songs to top the charts at the time.
Common usage
You'll see JUDE in grids regularly — its 4-letter, 2 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the J or E, JUDE tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like JUDE are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet JUDE again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and JUDE will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue JUDE — 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
- "Once the J was confirmed by the crossing word, JUDE was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Beatles' 'Hey ___''? That's JUDE nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed JUDE was right."