Crossword Clue: Give off light, as the sun
Here's the answer to the Give off light, as the sun crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: SHINE
"Give off light, as the sun" points to SHINE, a 5-letter entry that starts with S and finishes on E and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into SHINE from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
To shine is to emit or reflect light, and figuratively to excel or stand out. The saying 'make hay while the sun shines' urges people to seize favorable moments before they pass.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as SHINE are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 5-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Shine belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 5 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Give off light, as the sun"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make SHINE obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue SHINE — 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
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Give off light, as the sun'? That's SHINE nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed SHINE was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing SHINE into the grid took no time at all."