Crossword Clue: Sung dramatic stage genre
Here's the answer to the Sung dramatic stage genre crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: OPERA
OPERA solves the clue "Sung dramatic stage genre". Spanning 5 letters (3 vowels, 2 consonants), it begins at O and ends at A. 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
Opera is a dramatic art form in which the story is told entirely through singing and orchestral music. It originated in Italy at the end of the 16th century.
Common usage
Opera turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like OPERA 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, OPERA 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 OPERA'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 OPERA — 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 'Sung dramatic stage genre' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in OPERA almost immediately."
- "Once the O was confirmed by the crossing word, OPERA was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Sung dramatic stage genre'? That's OPERA nine times out of ten."