LA Times Crossword Clue · Down
Unplanned shortcut
Tap each tile to reveal the answer
Stuck? Tap one tile at a time for a gentle nudge, or reveal the full answer.
Letters
10
Direction
Down
Starts with
D
Ends with
H
Vowels
4
Puzzle date
June 6, 2026
About this clue
The clue “Unplanned shortcut” appeared in the LA Times Crossword on Saturday, June 6, 2026, in the down direction. The answer is a 10-letter word that starts with D and ends with H.
Crossword editor Patti Varol and her constructor team often use longer themed entries like this one to anchor the grid. With 4 vowels, the answer is unusually vowel-heavy — a hint that it may be a phrase, a name, or a borrowing from another language.
How to solve this clue
If you're stuck on this one, here are a few angles that often help with LA Times clues like this:
- Watch for misdirection. If the clue ends in a question mark or feels weirdly phrased, the answer is probably a pun, a homophone, or a non-literal interpretation.
- Match the part of speech. A noun clue takes a noun answer; a verb clue takes a verb in the same tense.
- Crosscheck with the perpendicular entries. If the Down entry is fighting you, fill in the Across words that cross it.
- Consider context. Theme entries often relate to the puzzle's overall gimmick.