Crossword Clue: Indian independence leader
Here's the answer to the Indian independence leader crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: GANDHI
"Indian independence leader" points to GANDHI, a 6-letter entry that starts with G and finishes on I and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into GANDHI from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Mahatma Gandhi led India's nonviolent independence movement against British rule. His philosophy of civil disobedience inspired global movements.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as GANDHI are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 6-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Gandhi belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 6 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Indian independence leader"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make GANDHI obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue GANDHI — 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 6-letter slot and a clue like 'Indian independence leader'? That's GANDHI nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed GANDHI was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing GANDHI into the grid took no time at all."