Crossword Clue: California desert with Joshua trees
Here's the answer to the California desert with Joshua trees crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: MOJAVE
The answer to "California desert with Joshua trees" is MOJAVE. Mojave runs 6 letters — 3 vowels and 3 consonants — opening with M and closing on E. In a grid it fills a 6-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
The Mojave Desert covers much of southeastern California and parts of neighboring states. It is home to the iconic Joshua tree and contains Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth.
Common usage
You'll see MOJAVE in grids regularly — its 6-letter, 3 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the M or E, MOJAVE tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like MOJAVE are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet MOJAVE 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 MOJAVE will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue MOJAVE — 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 M was confirmed by the crossing word, MOJAVE was the only entry that fit."
- "A 6-letter slot and a clue like 'California desert with Joshua trees'? That's MOJAVE nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed MOJAVE was right."