clue
/kluː/ (bre, ipa) · /kluː/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈklü/ (ame, mw)
clue — noun
- cluesingular
- cluesplural
1. anything — a fact, an object, or a short message — that leads someone toward the
anything — a fact, an object, or a short message — that leads someone toward the solution of a puzzle, crime, or difficult question.
The detective found a small footprint that gave her the first real clue.
collocation: find + a clue; give + a clue
Aiko searched through old letters for any clue about her grandmother's past.
preposition: clue about + topic
The crossword answer was hard to find, so Beatriz asked for a clue.
Without a clear clue from the map, Leila could not find the hidden treasure.
Ravi noticed a strange smell in the room — an important clue for the police.
- hint
more deliberate and direct; a clue often needs more interpretation
- sign
a visible or physical marker rather than a piece of information
- indication
more formal; suggests evidence pointing to a conclusion
- lead
used in detective work; a specific starting point for an investigation
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs such as give, find, look for, follow, and discover. The noun can be followed by to (a clue to the mystery), about (a clue about what happened), or for (a clue for the police).
常見錯誤
clue — verb
- cluepresent simple I / you / we / they
- clues3rd person singular
- cluing-ing form
- cluedpast simple
1. to produce the guiding hints for a game or puzzle, for instance a crossword or a
to produce the guiding hints for a game or puzzle, for instance a crossword or a word hunt.
Hana enjoys clueing the Sunday crossword for the local newspaper.
pattern: clue + [puzzle]
Diego spent the afternoon clueing a new puzzle for the school competition.
The game designer asked Omar to clue the word puzzles for the new app.
Vesna has been clueing crosswords for puzzle magazines since she retired.
文法句型
clue + [puzzle type]
用法筆記
Applies almost exclusively to puzzle or crossword creation contexts. The object of the verb is the puzzle itself, not the person playing it.
2. to give someone the information they need to understand a situation or to know w
to give someone the information they need to understand a situation or to know what is happening.
Yusuf clued his brother in on the surprise party plans before anyone else arrived.
phrasal: clue + [person] + in on + [topic]
Noa clued her teammates in about the changes to the game rules just before the match.
phrasal: clue + [person] + in + about + [topic]
Priya was not clued in about the meeting until an hour before it started.
Zane clued his cousin in on the shortcut through the old market street.
文法句型
clue + [person] + in + on/about + [topic]
用法筆記
Often appears in the phrasal form clue in or (less commonly) clue up, especially in informal contexts. The past participle clued in is frequently used as an adjective meaning well-informed.