Crossword Clue: Island nation off China's coast
Here's the answer to the Island nation off China's coast crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: TAIWAN
The answer to "Island nation off China's coast" is TAIWAN. Taiwan runs 6 letters — 3 vowels and 3 consonants — opening with T and closing on N. In a grid it fills a 6-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Taiwan is an island off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It is a global leader in the manufacture of advanced semiconductors.
Common usage
You'll see TAIWAN in grids regularly — its 6-letter, 3 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the T or N, TAIWAN tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like TAIWAN are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet TAIWAN again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and TAIWAN will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue TAIWAN — 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
- "Once the T was confirmed by the crossing word, TAIWAN was the only entry that fit."
- "A 6-letter slot and a clue like 'Island nation off China's coast'? That's TAIWAN nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed TAIWAN was right."