Crossword Clue: Zambian capital
Here's the answer to the Zambian capital crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: LUSAKA
LUSAKA solves the clue "Zambian capital". Spanning 6 letters (3 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at L and ends at A. 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
Lusaka became the capital of Northern Rhodesia in 1935 and of independent Zambia in 1964. It sits on a limestone plateau in the south-central part of the country. The city is a commercial hub at the junction of major trade routes.
Common usage
Lusaka turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like LUSAKA interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 6-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 6 letters, LUSAKA 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 LUSAKA'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
Setters vary how they clue LUSAKA — 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
- "Seeing 'Zambian capital' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in LUSAKA almost immediately."
- "Once the L was confirmed by the crossing word, LUSAKA was the only entry that fit."
- "A 6-letter slot and a clue like 'Zambian capital'? That's LUSAKA nine times out of ten."