Crossword Clue: Slithering legless reptile
Here's the answer to the Slithering legless reptile crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: SNAKE
SNAKE solves the clue "Slithering legless reptile". Spanning 5 letters (2 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at S 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
Snakes are legless reptiles that smell by flicking their forked tongues to collect scent particles. They cannot chew, so they swallow prey whole thanks to flexible jaws connected by stretchy ligaments.
Common usage
Snake turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like SNAKE 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, SNAKE 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 SNAKE'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 SNAKE — 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 SNAKE was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing SNAKE into the grid took no time at all."
- "Snake is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."