Crossword Clue: Country south of the U.S.
Here's the answer to the Country south of the U.S. crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: MEXICO
The answer to "Country south of the U.S." is MEXICO. Mexico runs 6 letters — 3 vowels and 3 consonants — opening with M and closing on O. 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
Mexico occupies the southern part of North America between the U.S. and Central America. It was home to the Maya and Aztec civilizations.
Common usage
You'll see MEXICO 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 O, MEXICO tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like MEXICO are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet MEXICO 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 MEXICO will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue MEXICO — 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
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing MEXICO into the grid took no time at all."
- "Mexico is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Country south of the U.S.' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in MEXICO almost immediately."