Crossword Clue: Precious metal
Here's the answer to the Precious metal crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: SILVER
The answer to "Precious metal" is SILVER. Silver runs 6 letters — 2 vowels and 4 consonants — opening with S and closing on R. In a grid it fills a 6-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
Silver descends from the Old English "seolfor" and lends its name to the element symbol Ag from Latin "argentum." It also means a second-place medal and the Lone Ranger's horse, giving constructors options.
Common usage
You'll see SILVER in grids regularly — its 6-letter, 2 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the S or R, SILVER tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like SILVER are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet SILVER 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 SILVER will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "Precious metal" is just one way to arrive at SILVER. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Shiny gray metal and medal color". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing SILVER into the grid took no time at all."
- "Silver is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Precious metal' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in SILVER almost immediately."