Crossword Clue: South African city on the Indian Ocean
Here's the answer to the South African city on the Indian Ocean crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: DURBAN
The answer to "South African city on the Indian Ocean" is DURBAN. Durban runs 6 letters — 2 vowels and 4 consonants — opening with D and closing on N. 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
Durban is South Africa's busiest port, on the warm Indian Ocean coast. It has the largest population of Indian descent outside of India. The city is a popular beach and surfing destination.
Common usage
You'll see DURBAN 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 D or N, DURBAN tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like DURBAN are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet DURBAN 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 DURBAN will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue DURBAN — 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
- "Once the D was confirmed by the crossing word, DURBAN was the only entry that fit."
- "A 6-letter slot and a clue like 'South African city on the Indian Ocean'? That's DURBAN nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed DURBAN was right."