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Glite Dictionary
🌀 Without a theme 🧩 No-theme puzzle
themeless

themeless

8.2
A crossword puzzle with no central theme
  • noun
  • /ˈθimləs/
  • Jargon
translation icon : puzzle sin tema
  • I do like interesting names; for some reason, they just appeal to me, and I often start with one as a seed for a themeless.

Examples

  • So starting a themeless is easier, though finishing can be much harder due to the fill requirements being somewhat more strict for themeless than themed.

    Blog text (22)

  • My constructing goals are pretty standard for themelesses:

    Blog text (22)

  • A themeless crossword puzzle allows for more creative answers without being restricted to a specific theme.

  • Unlike themed puzzles, a themeless one has clues that vary greatly without focusing on a single topic.

  • She prefers solving themeless puzzles because they offer a greater challenge and require diverse knowledge.

Synonyms

crossword
vsthemeless
58 2.3

A puzzle where you fill words into a grid using numbered clues

is the same puzzle type but has no central theme or themed answers
crossword puzzle
vsthemeless
39 2.1

A game where you write words in a square grid using clues

is the same puzzle but lacks any central theme or themed answers

Surface Forms

themeless singular
themelesses plural

Morphology

themeless = theme (transparent) = theme + less

The word transparently means 'without a theme' from the base noun 'theme' plus the productive suffix '-less'.

Etymology

A themeless is a crossword or puzzle that is 'without' a theme, so each answer stands on its own. So a themeless puzzle has no group of themed answers and often feels more open and more difficult.