Able crossword clue

The most likely answers for the crossword clue “Able” are MOTOR or HARDY, with 5 letters. Below are 44 answers from 3 to 13 letters, best match first in each length, then what each top answer means and how to tell them apart.

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The best answers, explained

FIT 3 letters · verb

be agreeable or acceptable to

VILE 4 letters · adjective

causing or able to cause nausea

MOTOR 5 letters · adjective

causing or able to cause motion “motor energy”

SUBTLE 6 letters · adjective

able to make fine distinctions “a subtle mind”

MISSING 7 letters · adjective

not able to be found “missing in action”

FLEXIBLE 8 letters · adjective

able to flex; able to bend easily “slim flexible birches”

COMPETENT 9 letters · adjective

properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient “a competent typist”

ILLITERATE 10 letters · adjective

not able to read or write

CONTROLLING 11 letters · adjective

able to control or determine policy “a controlling interest in the firm”

INDEFENSIBLE 12 letters · adjective

not able to be protected against attack

COMMUNICATIVE 13 letters · adjective

able or tending to communicate “was a communicative person and quickly told all she knew”

Telling them apart

With 6 squares, SUBTLE, MOTIVE, POROUS, QUEASY and PLIANT all fit. The third letter tells them all apart: B → SUBTLE · T → MOTIVE · R → POROUS · E → QUEASY · I → PLIANT. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 7 squares, MISSING, HEARING, THIRSTY, ELASTIC and SIGHTED all fit. The first letter tells them all apart: M → MISSING · H → HEARING · T → THIRSTY · E → ELASTIC · S → SIGHTED. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 8 squares, FLEXIBLE, SENSIBLE, TOLERANT, LITERATE and NAUSEOUS all fit. The first letter tells them all apart: F → FLEXIBLE · S → SENSIBLE · T → TOLERANT · L → LITERATE · N → NAUSEOUS. Fill in that crossing answer first.

Other forms of this clue

Clues often use another form of the word, and the answer then takes the same form: “ables” wants an answer that ends the same way.

What “able” means

• adjective: (usually followed by ‘to’) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something (“able to swim”)
• adjective: have the skills and qualifications to do things well (“able teachers”)
• adjective: having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity (“able to learn”)
• adjective: having a strong healthy body (“an able seaman”)

A clue usually points at one of these senses, so the right answer is the one that matches the sense the puzzle means: check it against the crossing words.

About these answers

We match the clue against our own thesaurus and dictionary (Open English WordNet): words that mean the same as ABLE, and words whose definition is ABLE. We don't copy answers from newspaper puzzles, so a clue that leans on trivia or wordplay may need the crossing letters instead.