The Crossword Round is one of the gameplay elements on Wheel of Fortune.
History[]
For the final week of Season 33 (specifically starting June 6, 2016), the show introduced a new feature unofficially called the Crossword Round. In this round, the puzzle deviates from the standard figures of speech normally used on the show. Instead, the puzzle board displays a set of interlocking words (typically four, but sometimes three; a few early ones used five) which all have a thematic connection. Instead of using the usual categories, they have a connecting clue in its stead (for instance, the first such round featured the words LOBSTER ROSE BLUSHING with the clue "Seeing Red"). In a first, the show solicited viewer feedback on its own website and social media to determine how frequently the round should appear each week. The feature became official on the Season 34 premiere. They typically occur three times in one week, although some taping sessions have deviated from this. Notably, the rule does not seem to apply to America's Game weeks due to them being compiled from various taping sessions. Also, the weeks of September 19, 2016; November 11, 2016; and October 28, 2019 used only two, with evidence on all three weeks suggesting that what would have been the third was thrown out due to an error in studio. The weeks of December 4, 2017 and October 1, 2018 used four.
Many Crossword Rounds are similar to the former Fill In the Blank category in that the clue is the preceding or following word with a blank, and all of the words in the puzzle can be used to fill in that blank. Two Crossword Rounds have used an existing category as a clue.
When solving the puzzle, the contestant is allowed to say the words in any order, so long as all of the words in the crossword are said without adding, subtracting, or repeating anything, including "and". This ruling has been subject to controversy on a number of occasions, as many casual viewers are unaware of the rule and feel it would be natural to say "and" when listing off the words in the puzzle (as well as several instances where adding "and" did not invalidate answers in the category Fill In the Blank). The Crossword has overlapped with the Prize Puzzle only seven times. The use of one as a Prize Puzzle was likely retired after a contestant on December 5, 2017 arguing with Pat Sajak after giving a wrong answer, although the arguing was edited from the broadcast.
While new to the American version, a similar round was previously used on the Spanish and German adaptations. It also bears some resemblance to the Wheel of Fortune Crossword electronic game from Tiger Electronics, and several fans have compared the round to the game show The Cross-Wits.