These Free Online Crossword Puzzles Make for Superb Distractions

There are endless ways to tackle a crossword puzzle. Do' em at the dining room table on a slow weekend morning, pencil in hand (or pen, if you're feeling reckless). Fill 'em out on an app, and make the commute whiz by. Gather 'round the Sunday puzzle with friends, helping each other with clues.

No matter how you approach the crossword puzzle, this remains the same: There's not much in the world more satisfying than filling in that very last square.

Successfully completing a crossword puzzle definitely boosts the ego—but there are even more tangible benefits to crosswords than self-admiration. In 2017, research carried out by experts at the University of Exeter Medical School and Kings College London concluded that practitioners of word puzzles maintain brain function as they age, especially in the categories of attention, reasoning, and memory.

Essentially, doing crosswords is the equivalent of eating vegetables, for your mind. Except that crosswords are way more fun than salad. Here's where to find the best crossword puzzles for free online, in books, as well as some printable options for kids and beginners.