Murderer (6) Crossword Clue
Answer: GUNMAN (6 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Murderer" with 6 letters is "GUNMAN".Gunman refers to an individual who uses a gun to commit a crime, particularly murder or assault. The term is often associated with someone who engages in violent acts, typically in situations involving robbery, terrorism, or targeted killings, where the gunman is responsible for causing harm or death.
Why “Gunman” Fits
The clue asks for a noun (6) meaning “murderer.” The answer, GUNMAN, fits as a specific type of killer who uses a gun:
- Murderer: A “gunman” is a person armed with a gun, especially one who uses it to shoot and often kill people, frequently in criminal contexts like robberies, ambushes, or attacks.
- In headlines and reports, “gunman” often implicitly means a shooter responsible for deaths, so it naturally overlaps with “murderer.”
- Direct match: GUNMAN has six letters, matching the (6) enumeration, and captures the idea of a killer whose defining feature is the use of a firearm.
“Gunman” is standard in crime and news reporting:
- Usage: News articles and police reports routinely describe perpetrators of shootings as “a lone gunman,” “masked gunmen,” or “the gunman opened fire,” with the term usually tied to intentional, often fatal violence.
- In many of these contexts, the gunman is either suspected of or charged with murder, reinforcing the connection to the clue.
- Nuance: While “gunman” can, in principle, include non-fatal shooting, in common reading it evokes someone dangerous and potentially homicidal, which is why a quick crossword can fairly define it as “murderer.”
In quick crosswords, clues like “Murderer (6)”:
- Often use a specific role as the definition—e.g., “killer,” “slayer,” “gunman”—with cross letters steering you to the right one.
- The structure (6) and the crime context make GUNMAN a strong candidate; other six-letter synonyms like “slayer” or “killer” exist, but only GUNMAN directly encodes the method (gun) that newspapers so frequently connect with murderous attacks.
- Recognising that tabloid-style clues and grids like the Irish Daily Mail Quick frequently draw on crime-reporting language makes GUNMAN a natural and satisfying solution to “Murderer (6).”
