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Synonyms

clue

American  
[kloo] / klu /

noun

  1. anything that serves to guide or direct in the solution of a problem, mystery, etc..

    It is up to Aurora to piece together the clues and solve the murder before she becomes the next victim.
    Synonyms:
    key, mark, evidence, trace, hint, sign

  2. a phrase or word provided as a hint to help find an answer or response in a crossword puzzle, on a game show, etc..

    The celebrity editor's name was featured as a clue on the long-running quiz show.

  3. an insight into or knowledge about something.

    As a kid from the suburbs, Patrick has lived a sheltered life and doesn't have a clue how to survive on his own.

  4. clew.

verb (used with object)

clued, cluing

  1. to direct or point out by a clue.

  2. to help find (an answer in a puzzle or quiz) by providing a clue.

    The four-letter “nose” was clued as “characteristic smell of wine.”

  3. clew.

verb phrase

  1. clue in

    1. to provide with useful or reliable information.

      Clue us in on how these forms are to be filled out.

    2. to make familiar or aware.

      Has she been clued in about the rules of this office?
clue British  
/ kluː /

noun

  1. something that helps to solve a problem or unravel a mystery

    1. to be completely baffled

    2. to be completely ignorant or incompetent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr; usually foll by in or up) to provide with helpful information

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a variant spelling of clew

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clue

First recorded in 1350–1400; variant spelling of clew

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Again, demographics are a clue — this time within the professions, as there aren’t enough younger workers in the field to take the place of older ones as they retire.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Another clue fell into place when a woman got in touch with investigators in 2003 about her father, who was last seen Aug. 10, 1999.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Tracking escaping hydrogen is critical because it forms when water molecules break apart, offering a direct clue to how much water Mars is losing.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

“The problem with that is, you have no clue what that equity is actually worth.”

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026

In this case he was at a serious disadvantage, as he had no clue how big-time money managers dressed.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.