Crossword Clue: Striped big cat
Here's the answer to the Striped big cat crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: TIGER
TIGER solves the clue "Striped big cat". Spanning 5 letters (2 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at T and ends at R. 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
Tiger traces through Latin and Greek back to a Persian word meaning arrow, a nod to the animal's speed. The word crosses cleanly and often hints at golf legend Tiger Woods or a fierce competitor.
Common usage
Tiger turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like TIGER interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 5-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 5 letters, TIGER 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 TIGER'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 "Striped big cat" is just one way to arrive at TIGER. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Golf great Woods", "Big striped cat". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'Striped big cat' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in TIGER almost immediately."
- "Once the T was confirmed by the crossing word, TIGER was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Striped big cat'? That's TIGER nine times out of ten."