Basic+ Word of the Day: clue

clue (noun) LISTEN

A clue is something that guides or directs someone to solving a problem.

  • The fingerprints on the knife were the clue that led to the arrest of the murder suspect.
  • I have no clue why Rose started crying when I entered the room.
  • There were clues throughout the mystery story, but I was still surprised by the ending.

Common uses

clue in: to provide with necessary information. Example: “Can you clue me in on the best way to find a good airfare.”

Did you know?

There is a popular board game called Clue. After a murder has been committed (in the game) each player must use clues to deduce who the murderer is, where it was committed, and what the weapon was.

In pop culture

Someone who is unknowledgeable or unaware of how things work is clueless. The movie Clueless is about high school students who have no clue about how the world works. The movie is based on the Jane Austen book Emma. Watch the trailer for Clueless here.

There are other meanings of clue.

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Word of the Day is released Monday through Friday.

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