Crossword Clue: Vast body of water
Here's the answer to the Vast body of water crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: OCEAN
"Vast body of water" points to OCEAN, a 5-letter entry that starts with O and finishes on N and carries 3 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into OCEAN from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Ocean stems from the Greek "Okeanos," a titan who personified the great river believed to encircle the world. Its balanced vowels and consonants make it a common five-letter answer for geography and nature themes.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as OCEAN are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 5-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Ocean belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 5 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Vast body of water"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make OCEAN obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue OCEAN — 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
- "Ocean is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Vast body of water' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in OCEAN almost immediately."
- "Once the O was confirmed by the crossing word, OCEAN was the only entry that fit."