Crossnumber puzzles are crossword puzzles that include digits in the answers. They may be hybrid grids with both numbers and letters or purely numbers or constructed entirely with numbers as answers.
For hybrid crossnumber puzzles, digits may replace part of a word with a homophone digit, like on a vanity license plate.
Hint: Longboard rider (4 characters). Answer: SK8R
Alternatively, a clue may have an answer that is partially a number.
Hint: Spray Lubricant (4 characters). Answer: WD40
For other crossnumber puzzles, the whole grid is filled with numbers and clues may reference the number directly,
Hint: Squares on a chess board. Answer: 64
or provide mathematical clues as to its value,
Hint: The smallest four digit square number. Answer: 1024.
Some crossnumbers may also bring in elements of other puzzle types like sudokus (each row, column, and section use each digit only once), magic squares (rows, columns, and sections add to the same value), or wordles (hints given as to the position of digits in an additional number to solve). Be sure to read the constructor’s note before beginning these puzzles to understand the rules that govern the grid.