Crossword Clue: Capital of Mali
Here's the answer to the Capital of Mali crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: BAMAKO
"Capital of Mali" points to BAMAKO, a 6-letter entry that starts with B and finishes on O and carries 3 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into BAMAKO from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Bamako sits on the Niger River in West Africa and is one of the fastest-growing cities in the region. It is a center of Malian music, which has influenced blues worldwide. The name is said to mean crocodile river.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as BAMAKO are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 6-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Bamako belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 6 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Capital of Mali"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make BAMAKO obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue BAMAKO — 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 6-letter slot and a clue like 'Capital of Mali'? That's BAMAKO nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed BAMAKO was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing BAMAKO into the grid took no time at all."