Crossword Clue: Phil Collins's former band
Here's the answer to the Phil Collins's former band crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: GENESIS
"Phil Collins's former band" points to GENESIS, a 7-letter entry that starts with G and finishes on S and carries 3 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into GENESIS from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Genesis is the English rock band formed in 1967, which included Peter Gabriel and later Phil Collins as frontman. They evolved from progressive rock to chart-topping pop.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as GENESIS are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 7-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Genesis belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 7 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Phil Collins's former band"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make GENESIS obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue GENESIS — 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
- "Genesis is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Phil Collins's former band' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in GENESIS almost immediately."
- "Once the G was confirmed by the crossing word, GENESIS was the only entry that fit."