Crossword Clue: Band's low-end string instrument
Here's the answer to the Band's low-end string instrument crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: BASS
BASS solves the clue "Band's low-end string instrument". Spanning 4 letters (1 vowel, 3 consonants), it begins at B and ends at S. 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
The bass provides the low-end foundation in a band, anchoring rhythm and harmony. The electric bass guitar became standard in rock and pop from the 1950s onward.
Common usage
Bass turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like BASS 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, BASS 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 BASS'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 BASS — 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 'Band's low-end string instrument' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in BASS almost immediately."
- "Once the B was confirmed by the crossing word, BASS was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Band's low-end string instrument'? That's BASS nine times out of ten."