Better crossword clue

The most likely answers for the crossword clue “Better” are MAJOR, BREAK or AMEND, with 5 letters. Below are 45 answers from 3 to 11 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

TOP 3 letters · verb

be superior or better than some standard “She topped her performance of last year”

BEST 4 letters · adverb

from a position of superiority or authority “father knows best”

MAJOR 5 letters · adjective

of greater importance or stature or rank “a major artist”

PUNTER 6 letters · noun

someone who bets

IMPROVE 7 letters · verb

to make better “The editor improved the manuscript with his changes”

IMPROVED 8 letters · adjective

become or made better in quality “was proud of his improved grades”

HEALTHIER 9 letters · adjective

improved in health or physical condition

AMELIORATE 10 letters · verb

to make better

IMPROVEMENT 11 letters · noun

a change for the better; progress in development

Telling them apart

With 4 squares, BEST, GOOD, HELP, PASS and TUNE all fit. The first letter tells them all apart: B → BEST · G → GOOD · H → HELP · P → PASS · T → TUNE. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 5 squares, MAJOR, BREAK, AMEND, FINER, TRUMP and CRANE all fit. The first letter tells them all apart: M → MAJOR · B → BREAK · A → AMEND · F → FINER · T → TRUMP · C → CRANE. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 6 squares, PUNTER, FITTER, PREFER, RELIEF, REFORM and EXCEED all fit. The third letter tells them all apart: N → PUNTER · T → FITTER · E → PREFER · L → RELIEF · F → REFORM · C → EXCEED. 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: “bettered” wants an answer that ends the same way.

What “better” means

• adjective: (comparative of ‘good’) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another (“You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din”)
• adjective: (comparative of ‘good’) changed for the better in health or fitness (“her health is better now”)
• adjective: (comparative and superlative of ‘well’) wiser or more advantageous and hence advisable (“it would be better to speak to him”)
• adjective: more than half (“argued for the better part of an hour”)

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 BETTER, and words whose definition is BETTER. We don't copy answers from newspaper puzzles, so a clue that leans on trivia or wordplay may need the crossing letters instead.