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.
Examples of clue in a Sentence
Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2025
Creators on TikTok and YouTube post reaction videos every week, and amateur sleuths dissect backstage scenes for clues about upcoming storylines or character developments.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
If the title didn’t clue you in, the show is all about the art and beauty of drag and stars drag queen actors as well as typical performers and even a rock band in the cast.
—Sophie Liza Cannon, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clue
Cite this Entry
“Clue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clue. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clue
1 of 2 nounclue
2 of 2 verb
Share