Crossword Clue: Sly animal
Here's the answer to the Sly animal crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: FOX
FOX solves the clue "Sly animal". Spanning 3 letters (1 vowel, 2 consonants), it begins at F and ends at X. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
Fox descends from the Old English "fox" and has long symbolized cunning in fables. Its rare X makes it a valuable crossing letter, and it also names a major television network.
Common usage
Fox turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like FOX interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 3-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 3 letters, FOX shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of FOX's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "Sly animal" is just one way to arrive at FOX. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "'The Simpsons' network", "Sly bushy-tailed animal". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'Sly animal' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in FOX almost immediately."
- "Once the F was confirmed by the crossing word, FOX was the only entry that fit."
- "A 3-letter slot and a clue like 'Sly animal'? That's FOX nine times out of ten."