Crossword Clue: Big striped cat
Here's the answer to the Big striped cat crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: TIGER
TIGER solves the clue "Big striped cat". Spanning 5 letters (2 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at T and ends at R. 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
The tiger is the largest living cat species, native to Asia and instantly recognizable by its orange coat with black stripes. Every tiger's stripe pattern is unique, much like a human fingerprint.
Common usage
Tiger turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like TIGER interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 5-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 5 letters, TIGER 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 TIGER'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
The clue "Big striped cat" is just one way to arrive at TIGER. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Striped big cat", "Golf great Woods". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'Big striped cat' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in TIGER almost immediately."
- "Once the T was confirmed by the crossing word, TIGER was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Big striped cat'? That's TIGER nine times out of ten."