Crossword Clue: 'The Matrix' chosen one
Here's the answer to the 'The Matrix' chosen one crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: NEO
The answer to "'The Matrix' chosen one" is NEO. Neo runs 3 letters — 2 vowels and 1 consonant — opening with N and closing on O. In a grid it fills a 3-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
Neo is the hacker-turned-savior played by Keanu Reeves in 'The Matrix' (1999). His name is an anagram of 'One,' reflecting his prophesied role.
Common usage
You'll see NEO in grids regularly — its 3-letter, 2 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the N or O, NEO tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like NEO are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet NEO 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 NEO will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue NEO — 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 N was confirmed by the crossing word, NEO was the only entry that fit."
- "A 3-letter slot and a clue like ''The Matrix' chosen one'? That's NEO nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed NEO was right."