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44 Backward Gimmick puzzles

Crosswords where answers have to be entered backward

Entering answers backward is a crossword gimmick with a long history.

The "Count" value below shows the number of answers in each grid you have to reverse.

The Modern Era constructors:

Alan Arbesfeld Ross Trudeau Kevin G. Der Zhouqin Burnikel Kathy Matheson Jeff Chen Kurt Krauss Joe Krozel Peter A. Collins Samuel A. Donaldson Elizabeth C. Gorski Timothy Polin Julian Lim Mark Feldman Elizabeth A. Long Patrick Blindauer Andrea Carla Michaels Randolph Ross

Thumbnails for the 5 most recent:

Mon 4/1/2024
WAFTSMGMNANA
AWAITANALORAL
DEEREMINIDONUT
LEERATSAMOSA
DAWDLECHANDLER
OREOCIAOTADAS
RANFROMBEEB
MBAOURBRANAE
DOPELANSING
OWERSARESTANG
BELITTLEEMOTES
TREBEKVISION
UNCERTAINSPURS
SETHSILOSTOUT
ERSTDONMOMMY
POW Thu 1/17/2019
JESTEDTWENPAR
ALPACAHAEYLLEH
MELLONECNUOENO
PAILSOLOSLAEM
ANTIHEROYACSIB
COREASOSSAEDI
KRUSTYKUEHT
SSNREVIVERFED
LENINRABOSI
TIDEDMGMMARCS
UNEASEGATSSEOG
SLEDSELESASRU
COMOESTAALLETS
AVENGERSRETEET
NEDOXESSESNES
Sat 3/31/2018
STNADERSDAPSOS
IHAVETOBAYLEAF
TAWORHTEMNOSTI
ONEWAYSTREETS
ELAYSAPS
INSETROBOTHO
NAMTLLANIGNIOG
AROUSALDREAMER
SNOITCERIDTEBA
AIRMETAMODEL
DAEBNALE
TOTALGRIDLOCK
SDAORNIOTNIGOL
HOTZONEGRANOLA
ONSETOVAETEGAS
Thu 2/22/2018
ADDMEAGESFOGS
DROOPNORAORAL
LANOITANATSUGUA
ENTCOLDSPLANB
ROPETOOHAUNT
ARBEGLAERP
ANNOYAIRAMY
TRISECTLEISURE
MACUMPMINIS
SREZITEPPA
ACHEDCALSTAB
FLORADAREDUSE
REVERSINGCOURSE
AXEDANTECREEP
TANSMEETKILTS
POW Thu 2/2/2017
STEPMOANERIC
TAXIUNJAMVEGA
ADENCOATIACLU
BACKTOFRONTOOL
ESUFNAEROK
GNIYASDEOMED
EENERFORWARDHO
RIGLEWISEON
INREVERSESDAOT
ERITNEETALFO
MEDNATSPIV
ECILEFTTORIGHT
TOESROWANNOIR
ULNASPIKYCAKE
PITTSTEMIDES
DateCountAuthorTitleEditor
Mon Apr 1, 20246Alan ArbesfeldFagliano
Thu Jan 17, 201916Ross TrudeauShortz
Sat Mar 31, 201838Kevin G. DerShortz
Thu Feb 22, 20183Zhouqin BurnikelShortz
Thu Feb 2, 201712Alex Eaton-SalnersShortz
Sun Aug 21, 20161Kathy Matheson and Jeff ChenWONDER-FUL!Shortz
Thu Apr 28, 201635Kurt KraussShortz
Thu Apr 16, 201517Joe Krozel and Peter CollinsShortz
Thu Sep 4, 20145Samuel A. DonaldsonShortz
Thu Oct 24, 20134Peter A. CollinsShortz
Sun Oct 20, 20131Elizabeth C. GorskiCOUNTRY ROADShortz
Thu Aug 29, 201330Timothy PolinShortz
Thu May 30, 20134Julian LimShortz
Thu Aug 23, 20126Mark FeldmanShortz
Sun Nov 6, 201112Elizabeth C. GorskiBAKER'S DOZENShortz
Fri Apr 1, 201116Elizabeth A. LongShortz
Thu Sep 2, 201037Patrick Blindauer and Andrea Carla MichaelsShortz
Thu Oct 1, 20092Patrick Blindauer & Rebecca YoungShortz
Sat Nov 1, 200819Donald K. WillingShortz
Thu Jul 17, 20085Elizabeth A. LongShortz
Thu Sep 23, 20043Jerry E. RosmanShortz
Sat Mar 1, 20032Randolph RossShortz
Sun Apr 29, 20011Elizabeth C. GorskiHIGH DEFINITIONShortz
Sun Aug 22, 19935Bernard MerenFOLLOW THE DIRECTIONSMaleska
Thu Apr 1, 199340Alfio MicciMaleska
Fri May 8, 19921Alfio MicciMaleska
Wed Apr 1, 19924Lawrence M. RheingoldMaleska
Mon Apr 1, 19914William S. McIlrathMaleska
Sun May 20, 199068John RussellUPWARD BOUNDMaleska
Fri Jan 27, 19894Bernice GordonMaleska
Fri Jul 15, 19884Daniel GirardiMaleska
Fri Jun 13, 19864Gloria EvansMaleska
Tue Apr 1, 198632Kenneth HaxtonMaleska
Mon Apr 1, 19854Ernst TheimerMaleska
Sun Apr 1, 19844Frances Hansen!PU SMOTTOBMaleska
Thu Apr 1, 19822Ernst TheimerMaleska
Sun Sep 28, 19805Herb L. RisteenREVERSE ENGLISHMaleska
Tue Apr 1, 19803Ernst TheimerMaleska
Sun Dec 16, 19799Michael PriestleyTHROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASSMaleska
Sun Jul 9, 19785Herb L. RisteenBACKUP MENMaleska
Sun Dec 27, 19641Frances HansenYKCOWREBBAJFarrar

Other grids with similar mirror-like gimmicks

These special grids require backward thinking in a somewhat different way.

DateAuthorTitleEditor
Tue Jun 6, 2023Daniel JaretShortz
Thu Oct 31, 2013David KwongShortz
Tue Dec 23, 2008Joe KrozelShortz
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133 ms