Crossword Clue: Shallowest Great Lake
Here's the answer to the Shallowest Great Lake crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: ERIE
ERIE solves the clue "Shallowest Great Lake". Spanning 4 letters (3 vowels, 1 consonant), it begins at E and ends at E. 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
Lake Erie is the shallowest and warmest of the five Great Lakes. Its shallow depth makes it the most biologically productive but prone to algal blooms.
Common usage
Erie turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like ERIE interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 4-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 4 letters, ERIE 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 ERIE'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 ERIE — 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 'Shallowest Great Lake' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in ERIE almost immediately."
- "Once the E was confirmed by the crossing word, ERIE was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Shallowest Great Lake'? That's ERIE nine times out of ten."