Crossword Clue: Egypt's capital
Here's the answer to the Egypt's capital crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: CAIRO
CAIRO solves the clue "Egypt's capital". Spanning 5 letters (3 vowels, 2 consonants), it begins at C and ends at O. 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
Cairo is the largest city in the Arab world and sits along the Nile River. It is nicknamed the City of a Thousand Minarets for its dense Islamic architecture. The Great Pyramids of Giza rise just to the southwest of the metropolis.
Common usage
Cairo turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like CAIRO 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, CAIRO 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 CAIRO'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 CAIRO — 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 second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed CAIRO was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing CAIRO into the grid took no time at all."
- "Cairo is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."