A few useful moves.

Word clues and piece shapes give you two ways to make progress. Switch between them when one stops helping.

Begin with the clearest answer

You do not have to start with clue 1. Read both directions and choose a word you recognize. Check its length before looking for pieces containing those letters.

Use the crossings to check your guess

A plausible answer still has to agree with the other words. If a crossing would give the next word an unlikely letter, move the piece back and try a different fit.

Look at the shape as well as the letters

A piece with a bend often fits around an intersection. A straight piece may belong along a longer word. Check that all the piece's letters stay on the board, not just the word you are currently solving.

Use the marked letter as your anchor

The small dot shows which letter follows your tap. For a piece with a missing corner, tapping where you imagine its outer rectangle should begin can place it incorrectly. Follow the marked letter instead.

In Hard and Ultra, check all four orientations

If a piece nearly fits, rotate it and reconsider its position. Turning a piece changes both its shape and the direction of its letters. Pieces can rotate but cannot be mirrored.

Move a piece before replacing an answer

A tile can legally fit more than one position. When every remaining piece seems blocked, an earlier placement may be the problem. Tap that piece, use Return tile, and see what space becomes available.

Use one hint, then read the board again

A hint provides one reference placement. Look at the crossing letters it reveals before asking for another. Hints may return conflicting pieces to the tray; this is expected, not a loss of progress.