You're staring at the grid. The black-and-white squares are mocking you. You have a C, an M, and a blank space at the end, and the clue just says "con games." It’s frustrating. Crossword puzzles are supposed to be a relaxing morning ritual, not a high-stakes interrogation of your vocabulary. But that's the thing about the con games crossword clue—it’s a shapeshifter. Depending on whether you’re tackling the New York Times, the LA Times, or a tricky Wall Street Journal puzzle, the answer could be a three-letter shrug or a ten-letter mouthful.
Crosswords are built on deception. It’s ironic, really. You are looking for a word that means a trick, while the puzzle creator is actively trying to trick you. Most people assume "con games" refers to something illegal happening in a back alley with three shells and a pea. While that's often true in the real world, in the world of Will Shortz or Penny Press, it’s usually just about the letters.
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The Most Likely Suspects for Con Games
When you see "con games" in a clue, your first instinct should be to count the boxes. Usually, it's plural. That "s" at the end of the clue is your best friend. If you see a four-letter slot, look no further than SCAMS. It’s the bread and butter of the crossword world. It’s elegant. It has common vowels. It fits almost anywhere.
But what if it's five letters? Then you’re likely looking at ROOKS. Or maybe DUPES. These words shift the focus from the game itself to the act of demeaning or fooling someone. Honestly, crossword constructors love the word STINGS. It’s punchy. It feels noir. If you’re working on a Sunday puzzle and you have a massive eight-letter gap, you might be dealing with BUNCOES or even SWINDLES.
The "con" in con games is short for "confidence." That’s the key. These aren’t games of skill or luck in the traditional sense. They are games of psychology. In a crossword, the "confidence" part is often dropped to save space, leaving you to wonder if the constructor is talking about a prison (a "con") or a swindle.
Why SCAMS is the King of the Grid
Why does SCAMS appear so often? It's the letter frequency. S, C, A, M, and S are all high-value real estate for a puzzle builder. They allow for easy "crosses." If you have "scams" going across, you can easily fit "solo," "cats," "area," "meat," and "stay" going down. It’s basic puzzle architecture.
Sometimes, though, the clue is a bit more playful. It might be "Con games?" with a question mark. That little piece of punctuation is a warning. It means the constructor is using a pun. In that case, the answer might not be about crime at all. It could be PROS, as in "pros and cons." It’s a classic misdirection that catches even seasoned solvers off guard.
Real-World Cons That Make It Into Puzzles
The history of the "con" is actually pretty fascinating. Take the PONZI scheme. While it’s technically a financial fraud, it’s often clued as a "con game" or "type of swindle." Charles Ponzi didn't invent the practice, but he certainly made it famous in the 1920s by promising huge returns on international reply coupons.
Then you have the SHELL game. You’ve seen it on the streets of New York or in movies. Three shells, one pea, and a set of hands moving faster than your eyes can track. In a crossword, the clue might be "Street con games" and the answer is almost always SHELLS.
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The Language of the Grifter
Crosswords rely on a specific lexicon. If you want to get good at solving the con games crossword clue, you need to learn the language of the grift. Here are some terms that pop up constantly:
- FLIMFLAM: A beautiful, rhythmic word that means a nonsensical swindle. It’s often used in British-style or older American puzzles.
- BUNCO: This one feels old-fashioned because it is. A bunco squad is a police unit dedicated to frauds. If the clue is "Con games, slangily," keep BUNCO in your back pocket.
- GYP: A bit controversial and less common nowadays due to its etymological roots, but you’ll still see it in older archives.
- SHAM: Short, sweet, and fills a three-letter hole perfectly.
The nuance of these words matters. A "sting" is a coordinated operation, often by law enforcement, while a "scam" is the act of the criminal. Yet, in the world of 15x15 grids, they are often treated as synonyms.
Strategy: How to Solve It Without a Dictionary
Don't just guess. Look at the "crosses"—the words that intersect with your mystery answer. If the second letter of your "con games" answer is an 'A', and the crossing word is "CAT," you're almost certainly looking at SCAMS.
If the clue is "Participates in con games," the answer is likely a verb like COZENS or DUPES. Notice the tense. If the clue is plural ("games"), the answer must be plural. If the clue is a verb ("to con"), the answer must be a verb. This is the golden rule of crosswords.
I’ve seen people get stuck on this for twenty minutes because they were convinced the answer was "fraud." Fraud is five letters. But if the grid asks for five letters and you have an 'S' at the end, "fraud" won't work. SCAMS will. STING won't (it's singular). You have to be rigid about the grammar while being flexible about the meaning.
Misdirection and the Question Mark
Crossword constructors like David各自 or Brendan Emmett Quigley are notorious for "tricky" clues. If you see "Con games?" with that dreaded question mark, stop thinking about criminals. Think about people who are "pro" and people who are "con." The answer could be DEBATES. Why? Because a debate is literally a game (or competition) consisting of "cons" (those arguing against a point).
That’s the level of mental gymnastics required. It’s not just about knowing words; it’s about knowing how the person who wrote the clue thinks. They want you to think about the mafia, so they can surprise you with a high school debate team.
A List of Common Answers by Letter Count
Since you're likely here because you're stuck on a specific puzzle right now, let’s look at the most common answers based on the number of boxes you need to fill.
3 Letters
- GYP: (Though becoming rarer)
- CON: (Sometimes the answer is right in the clue)
4 Letters
- SHAM: Often clued as "Hoax" or "Con."
- ROOK: More of a verb, but can appear.
- DUPE: To fool someone.
5 Letters
- SCAMS: The undisputed heavyweight champion of this clue.
- STING: Usually singular, but look for it.
- BUNCO: The classic police-slang term.
- COZEN: A bit literary, but shows up in the NYT often.
6 Letters
- SWAMPS: Rarely, but keep it in mind for specific contexts.
- STINGS: The plural version of the undercover op.
- DODGES: A more British or archaic way of saying a trick.
7+ Letters
- FLIMFLAM: A favorite for Sunday puzzles.
- SWINDLES: Very straightforward.
- HOAXES: Good for middle-of-the-week puzzles.
The Evolution of the "Con"
The term "confidence man" actually dates back to 1849. It was first used by the New York Herald to describe William Thompson. Thompson would walk up to people, act like he knew them, and then ask if they had the "confidence" to trust him with their watch for the day. He’d walk off with the watch and never come back.
This bit of history is why "confidence" is the root. It’s not about the money; it’s about the trust. When you’re solving a crossword, the constructor is William Thompson, and you’re the guy with the watch. They are asking you to trust the clue, only to lead you down a path where "con games" means "negatives" or "arguments against."
Expert Advice for Faster Solving
If you’re truly stuck, look for the "low-hanging fruit" around the clue. Don't stare at the empty boxes for "con games." Move to the clues that ask for "Capital of France" or "Opposite of down." Once you have two or three letters of the con games answer, the pattern recognition part of your brain will kick in.
It’s often a "V-C-V-C-C" pattern (Vowel-Consonant). For SCAMS, you have a consonant cluster at the beginning (SC) followed by a vowel and a nasal consonant. This is a very common linguistic structure in English, which is why your brain might "see" the word even before you consciously solve it.
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Your Next Steps to Mastering the Grid
Don't let one clue ruin your streak. If you've narrowed it down to SCAMS or BUNCO, but neither seems to fit, check the surrounding clues for "rebus" squares. Sometimes, multiple letters fit into one box. It’s a rare occurrence, but "CON" itself is a frequent candidate for a rebus. You might find "CON" tucked into a single square to make words like "ECONOMY" or "CONDENSE" work in the opposite direction.
Next time you see this clue, remember:
- Count the squares first.
- Check for a question mark (pun alert!).
- Look for that "S" at the end.
- Fill in the crossing words to narrow down the vowel.
Crosswords are essentially a "con game" themselves. The constructor sets the trap, and you try to escape it. By understanding the common synonyms like SCAMS, BUNCO, and FLIMFLAM, you’re already one step ahead of the grifter. Keep your pencil sharp and your eraser handy. You'll have that corner of the grid finished before your coffee gets cold.
Check the date of your puzzle. Older puzzles (pre-2000s) use a very different vocabulary than modern ones. If you're solving an archive piece, expect more obscure words like COZEN. If it's a modern app-based puzzle, SCAMS is almost always the safest bet. Now, get back to that grid and fill in those squares.