Crossword Clue: Sharp point on a rose stem
Here's the answer to the Sharp point on a rose stem crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: THORN
The answer to "Sharp point on a rose stem" is THORN. Thorn runs 5 letters — 1 vowel and 4 consonants — opening with T and closing on N. 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
A thorn is a sharp woody projection that helps plants defend against grazing animals. Old English even had a letter named 'thorn' that represented the 'th' sound, which survives today in the mock-archaic 'ye olde.'
Common usage
You'll see THORN in grids regularly — its 5-letter, 1 vowel shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the T or N, THORN tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like THORN are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet THORN 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 THORN will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue THORN — 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 THORN into the grid took no time at all."
- "Thorn is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Sharp point on a rose stem' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in THORN almost immediately."