Crossword Clue: Central African river, second largest by discharge
Here's the answer to the Central African river, second largest by discharge crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: CONGO
The answer to "Central African river, second largest by discharge" is CONGO. Congo runs 5 letters — 2 vowels and 3 consonants — opening with C 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
The Congo River is the deepest in the world, reaching depths over 720 feet. It carries the second-largest flow of any river, crossing the equator twice.
Common usage
You'll see CONGO in grids regularly — its 5-letter, 2 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the C or O, CONGO tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like CONGO are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet CONGO 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 CONGO will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue CONGO — 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 C was confirmed by the crossing word, CONGO was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Central African river, second largest by discharge'? That's CONGO nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed CONGO was right."