Crossword Clue: Grey wizard of Middle-earth
Here's the answer to the Grey wizard of Middle-earth crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: GANDALF
"Grey wizard of Middle-earth" points to GANDALF, a 7-letter entry that starts with G and finishes on F and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into GANDALF from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Gandalf is the wise wizard in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings,' played by Ian McKellen in the films. He guides the Fellowship and later returns as Gandalf the White.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as GANDALF are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 7-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Gandalf belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 7 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Grey wizard of Middle-earth"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make GANDALF obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue GANDALF — 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
- "A 7-letter slot and a clue like 'Grey wizard of Middle-earth'? That's GANDALF nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed GANDALF was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing GANDALF into the grid took no time at all."