Crossword Clue: Portent
Here's the answer to the Portent crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: OMEN
"Portent" points to OMEN, a 4-letter entry that starts with O and finishes on N and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into OMEN from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Ancient peoples read omens in birds, weather, and stars. Its clean four-letter shape makes O-M-E-N easy to cross.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as OMEN are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 4-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Omen belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 4 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Portent"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make OMEN obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "Portent" is just one way to arrive at OMEN. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Sign of things to come". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Portent'? That's OMEN nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed OMEN was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing OMEN into the grid took no time at all."