Help crossword clue

The most likely answers for the crossword clue “Help” are SERVE, AVAIL or UNCLE, with 5 letters. Below are 22 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

AID 3 letters · noun

a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do “visual aids in teaching”

DISH 4 letters · noun

a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food “we gave them a set of dishes for a wedding present”

SERVE 5 letters · verb

help to some food; help with food or drink “I served him three times, and after that he helped himself”

ASSIST 6 letters · verb

give help or assistance; be of service

SERVICE 7 letters · noun

a means of serving

ASSISTANT 9 letters · noun

a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose “my invaluable assistant”

ASSISTANCE 10 letters · noun

the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose “could not walk without assistance”

ABANDONMENT 11 letters · noun

withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility “his abandonment of his wife and children left them penniless”

Telling them apart

With 5 squares, SERVE, AVAIL and UNCLE all fit. The first letter tells them all apart: S → SERVE · A → AVAIL · U → UNCLE. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 6 squares, ASSIST, THANKS, FOSTER and SUCCOR all fit. The first letter tells them all apart: A → ASSIST · T → THANKS · F → FOSTER · S → SUCCOR. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 7 squares, SERVICE, NURTURE and SUCCOUR all fit. The fourth letter tells them all apart: V → SERVICE · T → NURTURE · C → SUCCOUR. 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: “helped” wants an answer that ends the same way.

What “help” means

• verb: give help or assistance; be of service (“Everyone helped out during the earthquake”)
• verb: improve the condition of (“These pills will help the patient”)
• verb: be of use (“This will help to prevent accidents”)
• verb: abstain from doing; always used with a negative (“I can't help myself — I have to smoke”)

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