Crossword Clue: Nepali lakeside gateway to the Annapurnas
Here's the answer to the Nepali lakeside gateway to the Annapurnas crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: POKHARA
The answer to "Nepali lakeside gateway to the Annapurnas" is POKHARA. Pokhara runs 7 letters — 3 vowels and 4 consonants — opening with P and closing on A. In a grid it fills a 7-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
Pokhara is a lakeside city and the gateway to Nepal's Annapurna trekking circuit. It sits beside tranquil Phewa Lake, with Himalayan peaks reflected in the water. The city is a hub for paragliding and mountain adventures.
Common usage
You'll see POKHARA in grids regularly — its 7-letter, 3 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the P or A, POKHARA tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like POKHARA are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet POKHARA 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 POKHARA will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue POKHARA — 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 P was confirmed by the crossing word, POKHARA was the only entry that fit."
- "A 7-letter slot and a clue like 'Nepali lakeside gateway to the Annapurnas'? That's POKHARA nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed POKHARA was right."