Crossword Clue: Flowing waterway
Here's the answer to the Flowing waterway crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: RIVER
RIVER solves the clue "Flowing waterway". Spanning 5 letters (2 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at R and ends at R. 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
River comes from the Latin "riparia," relating to a bank or shore. Its everyday familiarity and friendly letters make it a reliable five-letter entry across geography and nature grids.
Common usage
River turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like RIVER 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, RIVER 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 RIVER'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 RIVER — 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 RIVER was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing RIVER into the grid took no time at all."
- "River is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."