What is Intersections?
Intersections is a daily word puzzle in which two five-letter words that share related meanings cross at a single shared letter. One word runs horizontally and the other vertically. Players receive five guesses to identify both words.
How to play Intersections
- Observe the grid. The shared intersecting letter is already revealed at the start of the puzzle.
- Type any valid five-letter word and submit it. The guess is evaluated against both the horizontal and vertical target words at the same time.
- Read the color feedback on the two separate result grids. Green marks a correct letter in the correct position for that word. Yellow marks a letter that appears in the word but in a different position. Gray marks a letter that does not appear in that word.
- Note that any letter placed correctly is permanently revealed on the main crossing grid.
- Use the on-screen keyboard for further guidance. Top and bottom borders of each key show the letter’s status in the horizontal word; left and right borders show its status in the vertical word.
- Continue guessing until both words are solved or the five-guess limit is reached. Traffic-light indicators track progress: red means neither word is complete, yellow means one is complete, and green means both are solved.
- If stuck, tap the road-sign button above the keyboard to receive a clue that points toward the pair of related words.
- After the puzzle ends, tap either solved word to read a short definition written specifically for that pairing, explaining why the two words belong together.
- Consult the statistics panel for games played, survival rate, current streak, and guess distribution. Optional sign-in keeps the record available across devices. Past daily puzzles and random extra puzzles are available from the archive and green-light buttons.
Related meanings and the shared letter
The two target words are chosen because they share a semantic connection. The intersecting letter is the only letter that appears in both words at the crossing position; every other letter belongs to only one of the two words. Because a single guess is scored against both words simultaneously, a letter that is green for one word may be yellow or gray for the other. Correct letters that appear on the main grid become fixed and no longer need to be rediscovered.
The color system follows the familiar green-yellow-gray convention, but the dual evaluation requires players to track two independent letter inventories at once. The keyboard’s border coloring makes this dual tracking visible without forcing players to remember earlier results.
Tips for solving
Focus first on the revealed intersecting letter and the positions that remain open around it. A guess that places that letter correctly in one word while testing common letters elsewhere often yields useful information for both grids. Because only five attempts are allowed, avoid speculative words that share few letters with the revealed intersection or with previously confirmed greens and yellows.
When one word is nearly complete, use its remaining open slots to constrain guesses for the second word. The optional clue is available at any time and is designed to highlight the conceptual link rather than to reveal letters directly. After a successful solve, reading the paired definitions reinforces the intended relationship and can help pattern recognition on future days.
Progress and statistics remain local unless a free account is used; the same account works on phone or computer. Daily puzzles reset each calendar day, while the archive and random mode allow unlimited additional play.