Crossword Clue: Sound after lightning
Here's the answer to the Sound after lightning crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: THUNDER
"Sound after lightning" points to THUNDER, a 7-letter entry that starts with T and finishes on R and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into THUNDER from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Thunder is the sound created when lightning rapidly heats the surrounding air, causing it to expand explosively. Because light travels faster than sound, counting the seconds between flash and rumble roughly estimates the storm's distance.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as THUNDER are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 7-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Thunder belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 7 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Sound after lightning"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make THUNDER obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue THUNDER — 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
- "Thunder is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Sound after lightning' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in THUNDER almost immediately."
- "Once the T was confirmed by the crossing word, THUNDER was the only entry that fit."