Crossword Clue: Proofreader's "leave it in"
Here's the answer to the Proofreader's "leave it in" crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: STET
The answer to "Proofreader's "leave it in"" is STET. Stet runs 4 letters — 1 vowel and 3 consonants — opening with S and closing on T. In a grid it fills a 4-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
Stet is Latin for 'let it stand,' used by editors to cancel a correction. Its symmetrical S-T-E-T shape appears often in crosswords.
Common usage
You'll see STET in grids regularly — its 4-letter, 1 vowel shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the S or T, STET tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like STET are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet STET 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 STET will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "Proofreader's "leave it in"" is just one way to arrive at STET. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Editor's restore instruction". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "Once the S was confirmed by the crossing word, STET was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Proofreader's "leave it in"'? That's STET nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed STET was right."