Crossword Clue: Cloth for drying off
Here's the answer to the Cloth for drying off crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: TOWEL
TOWEL solves the clue "Cloth for drying off". Spanning 5 letters (2 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at T and ends at L. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
A towel is an absorbent cloth used for drying, and its looped fabric, called terry, holds more water than a flat weave. To 'throw in the towel' means to give up, borrowed from boxing, where a tossed towel signals surrender.
Common usage
Towel turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like TOWEL interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 5-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 5 letters, TOWEL shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of TOWEL's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue TOWEL — 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
- "Seeing 'Cloth for drying off' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in TOWEL almost immediately."
- "Once the T was confirmed by the crossing word, TOWEL was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Cloth for drying off'? That's TOWEL nine times out of ten."