Crossword Clue: Wintry mix of rain and snow
Here's the answer to the Wintry mix of rain and snow crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: SLEET
The answer to "Wintry mix of rain and snow" is SLEET. Sleet runs 5 letters — 2 vowels and 3 consonants — opening with S and closing on T. In a grid it fills a 5-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
Sleet is precipitation of small ice pellets that form when snowflakes partly melt and then refreeze on the way down. It bounces when it hits the ground, unlike freezing rain, which coats surfaces in ice.
Common usage
You'll see SLEET in grids regularly — its 5-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 T, SLEET tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like SLEET are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet SLEET 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 SLEET will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue SLEET — 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
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing SLEET into the grid took no time at all."
- "Sleet is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Wintry mix of rain and snow' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in SLEET almost immediately."