Crossword Clue: Precious metal
Here's the answer to the Precious metal crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: SILVER
The answer to "Precious metal" is SILVER. Silver is a 6-letter word made up of 2 vowels and 4 consonants, beginning with S and ending with R. In a crossword grid it occupies a 6-square slot, and each of its letters also forms part of a word crossing it — so even if the clue stumps you, the crossing entries will usually hand you enough letters to fill it in.
Origin & meaning
Silver descends from the Old English "seolfor" and lends its name to the element symbol Ag from Latin "argentum." It also means a second-place medal and the Lone Ranger's horse, giving constructors options.
Common usage
Silver turns up frequently in crosswords precisely because of that letter mix. Short, vowel-friendly words like SILVER are a constructor's best friend: they interlock cleanly with longer entries and help a grid come together without awkward letter clashes. When you see a 6-letter slot and already have a crossing letter or two, SILVER is often quick to confirm — especially once the S or R is in place.
Crossword trivia
Because it is only 6 letters long, SILVER appears far more often in daily mini and themed puzzles than longer, more obscure words. Regular solvers come to recognize it on sight, and it is exactly the kind of entry worth committing to memory: the more common short words you know cold, the faster your solve times become.
Stuck on this clue?
If "Precious metal" has you stuck, don't force it — jump to the clues crossing this slot instead. Filling in even one or two intersecting letters usually makes SILVER obvious. That crossing-first approach is the single most useful habit for improving at crosswords, and it works on everything from the quick daily Mini to a full Sunday grid.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "Precious metal" is just one way to arrive at SILVER. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Shiny gray metal and medal color". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing SILVER into the grid took no time at all."
- "Silver is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Precious metal' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in SILVER almost immediately."
- "Once the S was confirmed by the crossing word, SILVER was the only entry that fit."