hidden clue
- noun
:
pista oculta
- In the game, players must search for hidden clues that will help them advance.
Examples
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Know that across the island, I've hidden clues.
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When we describe our fiction to somebody, we most often talk in terms of plot, as it's usually the most easily described element of our storytelling: "So there's this guy, a treasure hunter, who is brought onto a heist job by old friends to help steal some artifact that it turns out contains a hidden clue to some ancient treasure, only he's betrayed and left for dead..."
Blog text (31) -
The detective found a hidden clue that revealed the suspect's location.
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To solve the mystery, she had to examine every detail for hidden clues.
Synonyms
966
1.0
A piece of information that helps you solve a problem or mystery
229
1.5
A small indirect suggestion that helps you understand something
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a clue that is not immediately obvious or is concealed' is directly compositional from 'hidden' (not easily visible) and 'clue' (information that helps solve something). This adjective+noun combination follows a transparent semantic pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Hidden clue gives a simple picture: imagine a small note tucked under a rug or a tiny object hidden inside a book, so it is there but hard to see. The word hidden means covered and clue means a small hint. So, because you must look carefully or search to find it, a hidden clue means 'a clue that is not obvious'.