Crossword Clue: Capital of Ecuador
Here's the answer to the Capital of Ecuador crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: QUITO
The answer to "Capital of Ecuador" is QUITO. Quito runs 5 letters — 3 vowels and 2 consonants — opening with Q and closing on O. In a grid it fills a 5-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
Quito lies high in the Andes at about 9,350 feet, making it one of the highest capitals on Earth. It sits just south of the equator, which gives the country its name. Its well-preserved colonial center was among the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Common usage
You'll see QUITO in grids regularly — its 5-letter, 3 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the Q or O, QUITO tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like QUITO are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet QUITO 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 QUITO will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue QUITO — 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 Q was confirmed by the crossing word, QUITO was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Capital of Ecuador'? That's QUITO nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed QUITO was right."