Crossword Clue: Great Siberian river
Here's the answer to the Great Siberian river crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: LENA
"Great Siberian river" points to LENA, a 4-letter entry that starts with L and finishes on A and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into LENA from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
The Lena is one of the longest rivers in the world at about 2,700 miles, flowing north across Siberia into the Arctic Ocean. It freezes for much of the year and forms a vast delta.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as LENA 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
Lena 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 "Great Siberian river"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make LENA obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue LENA — 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
- "Lena is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Great Siberian river' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in LENA almost immediately."
- "Once the L was confirmed by the crossing word, LENA was the only entry that fit."