clue

noun \ ˈklü \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of clue

1 : something that guides through an intricate procedure or maze of difficulties; specifically : a piece of evidence that leads one toward the solution of a problem

2 : idea, notion

had no clue what he meant

See clue defined for English-language learners

See clue defined for kids

Examples of clue in a Sentence

The book gives the reader plenty of clues to solve the mystery.
Science gives us clues about the origin of the universe.
“Guess who I met today.” “Can you give me a clue?”
It gives a clue as to how to proceed.

Recent Examples of clue from the Web

There are clues that something unprecedented is indeed happening — no U.S. president has met with a North Korea leader, after all.

— Washington Post, "Reality check on optimism swirling around Trump-Kim summit," 7 June 2018
There are clues that something unprecedented is indeed happening — no U.S. president has met with a North Korea leader, after all.

— Fox News, "Reality check on optimism swirling around Trump-Kim summit," 7 June 2018
Indigenous ingredients integrated Crunching your way through a pile of chicharrones ($7) dusted with a bit of sugar and chile and dipped in a milky cool (if a little too thin) tomatillo cream will be the first clue that interesting things are afoot.

— dominic armato, azcentral, "Helio Basin Brewing Co. brings Arizona cuisine to Phoenix brewery, but fascinating menu feels out of place," 6 June 2018
The flirtatious comments are just the latest clues that Priyanka and Nick are romantically linked.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Priyanka Chopra Comments on Nick Jonas' Instagram, Further Fueling Dating Rumors," 5 June 2018
But there are clues to how this particular little Mega died.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Oldest Lizard Fossil Shows the Reptiles Are True Survivors," 1 June 2018
Hemorrhaging on this new whale, though, is a big clue.

— matt simon, WIRED, "The Messy, Malodorous Mystery of the Dead 60-Foot Whale," 31 May 2018
Luckily, there is a useful clue tucked into the fine print.

— marnie old, Philly.com, "The best rosés at every price point," 30 May 2018
That Haddon was watching Monday’s game in his Salvador Perez jersey should be a big clue.

— pete grathoff, kansascity, "This young Royals fan who grew up in Africa had a memorable first trip to the K," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The word clue was originally a variant spelling of clew, meaning “ball of thread or yarn.” Our modern sense of clue, “guide to the solution of a mystery,” grows out of a motif in myth and folklore, the ball of thread that helps in finding one’s way out of a maze. Of these stories the best known is the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. In the myth, Theseus unravels a ball of thread as he searches for the monstrous Minotaur in the Labyrinth. After killing the Minotaur, he retraces his steps out of the maze by rewinding the thread.

Origin and Etymology of clue

alteration of clew

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1665

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

clue Synonyms

Synonyms

cue, hint, indication, inkling, intimation, lead, suggestion;

Near Antonyms

answer, solution;

hunch, idea, inspiration, notion;

allusion, implication, inference, innuendo, insinuation;

assistance, nod, prompt, tip, tip-off, wink;

feeling, foreboding, intuition, premonition, presentiment, suspicion;

augury, foreshadower, foretaste, harbinger, omen, portent, prefigurement, presage, symptom;

clue

verb

Definition of clue

clued; clueing or cluing

transitive verb

1 : to provide with a clue

2 : to give reliable information to

he clued me in on how it happened

See clue defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of clue from the Web

In this piece for Citius Mag, Jesse Squire clues readers in about what to watch today at the NCAA Championships and how to do it.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "One more time for magic to happen in 'historic' Hayward Field: Oregon track & field rundown," 6 June 2018
Susan Jordan, executive director of the California Coastal Protection Network, said she was troubled by what appears to be a setback for coastal access and was concerned that the public seemed to be clued in after the fact.

— rosanna xia, latimes.com, "Soon you can visit this pristine California beach — if you're a nearby landowner, on a guided tour or willing to paddle 2 miles," 22 May 2018
But there’s a secret that Silicon Valley apparently hasn’t clued into yet: there’s already a piece of technology that pierces the skin to collect blood.

— rachel becker, The Verge, "Verily’s ‘exploding micro-needles’ are a fix for a problem that doesn’t exist," 18 May 2018
If their red hair and freckles don't clue you in on their relation, their similarly infectious laughs and quick wits do.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "How Mina Starsiak from HGTV's 'Good Bones' Met Her Husband Steve Hawk," 13 May 2018
Apparently, Rihanna is clued into this, and, humbly, didn't really think she'd be invited.

— krystin arneson, Glamour, "Rihanna's Answer to Why She Wasn't Invited to the Royal Wedding Is Honestly Perfection," 13 May 2018
Those not already clued in to Jones’ early life are left in the dark.

— dan deluca, Philly.com, "Make Grace Jones seem boring? This documentary proves it can be done," 2 May 2018
Cupcakes and Cashmere founder Emily Schuman first clued us into the trend, writing about how she's spotted it at various Los Angeles restaurants, like Pine and Crane and Kitchen Mouse, as well as across several design blogs.

— candace braun davison, House Beautiful, "People Are Obsessed With This $60 Ikea Lamp," 9 May 2018
In case the GIFs haven't clued you in, Shania Twain is here, y'all.

— joey guerra, Houston Chronicle, "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 10 recap: Sexy babies and Shania Twain," 19 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of clue

1934

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

CLUE Defined for English Language Learners

clue

noun

Definition of clue for English Language Learners

: something that helps a person find something, understand something, or solve a mystery or puzzle
: an understanding of something : knowledge about something

CLUE Defined for Kids

clue

noun \ ˈklü \

Definition of clue for Students

: something that helps a person to find something or to solve a mystery

History for clue

The word clue was originally an alternate spelling of clew, meaning “a ball of thread or yarn.” Our usual modern sense of clue, “something that helps solve a mystery,” grows out of the image of a ball of thread that helps a person to find a way out of a maze. Of stories containing this image, the best known is the Greek myth of Theseus and Ariadne. Ariadne gave the hero Theseus a ball of thread that he unraveled as he searched the labyrinth, or huge maze, of her father, King Minos. After killing the monster in the labyrinth, Theseus retraced his steps by rewinding the thread.