Crossword Clue: Hockey great Gretzky
Here's the answer to the Hockey great Gretzky crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: WAYNE
WAYNE solves the clue "Hockey great Gretzky". Spanning 5 letters (2 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at W 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
Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian hockey legend nicknamed 'The Great One.' He holds numerous NHL scoring records.
Common usage
Wayne turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like WAYNE 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, WAYNE 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 WAYNE'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 WAYNE — 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 WAYNE was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing WAYNE into the grid took no time at all."
- "Wayne is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."