How to defeat the hardest crossword puzzles?

The impossible is just the thing that hasn't been done... yet. Set the puzzle aside for awhile. Often, you get locked into thinking of clues one particular way. Does ENtrance mean the opposite of exit or does enTRANCE mean enchant? The puzzle maker is trying to confuse you. Pick it up first thing in the morning and you'll be able to make new connections. Work backwards. Instead of trying to get a Word from a clue, figure out what the Word wants to be and see if it fits the clue. Fill in possible letter combinations. C _ _ _ _ _ E has too many possibilities, even C _ I _ _ _ E, but if you shaded in an H (a likely partner for C) it might look less like Greek and more like CHINESE. Puzzle books come in varying degrees of difficulty. Pick the one that's fun for you. After you master that, you'll be ready to move up. When all else fails, ask us. That's what we're here for.