Crossword Clue: Capital of Iraq
Here's the answer to the Capital of Iraq crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: BAGHDAD
"Capital of Iraq" points to BAGHDAD, a 7-letter entry that starts with B and finishes on D and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into BAGHDAD from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Baghdad was founded in the 8th century and became the center of the Islamic Golden Age. Its House of Wisdom was a leading hub of learning and translation. The city straddles the Tigris River in central Iraq.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as BAGHDAD are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 7-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Baghdad belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 7 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Capital of Iraq"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make BAGHDAD obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue BAGHDAD — 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
- "A 7-letter slot and a clue like 'Capital of Iraq'? That's BAGHDAD nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed BAGHDAD was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing BAGHDAD into the grid took no time at all."