Crossword Clue: West African country, formerly Dahomey
Here's the answer to the West African country, formerly Dahomey crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: BENIN
"West African country, formerly Dahomey" points to BENIN, a 5-letter entry that starts with B and finishes on N and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into BENIN from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Benin is a narrow West African country on the Gulf of Guinea, once the Kingdom of Dahomey. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Vodun religion.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as BENIN 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
Benin 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 "West African country, formerly Dahomey"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make BENIN obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue BENIN — 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
- "Benin is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'West African country, formerly Dahomey' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in BENIN almost immediately."
- "Once the B was confirmed by the crossing word, BENIN was the only entry that fit."