Blow Towards Shore Crossword Clue — Answer, Explanation & Solving Tips

The most common fill for “Blow towards shore” in crosswords is:

Answer	Letter Count	Notes
ONSHORE	(6)	Primary and most frequent answer — describes wind blowing from sea to land
INSHORE	(7)	Less common variant; sometimes used depending on grid pattern
BLOW IN	(6, two words)	Appears rarely; depends on clue style and puzzle format

📝 Part of speech: usually used as an adjective/adverb in crossword cluing — e.g., “onshore wind”, “wind blowing onshore”, “breeze moving inshore.”

Blow Towards Shore Crossword Meaning & Definition

“Blow towards shore” refers to the movement of wind from water toward land. In real-world usage and meteorology, this is called an onshore wind. Crossword setters rely on this literal meaning — the clue gives direction, not a metaphor.

In crossword conventions, this clue typically points to:

A directional adjective/adverb, rather than a full descriptive noun phrase
A single compact word that answers “towards land” rather than “type of wind.”

That’s why ONSHORE is the most common fill. It expresses the action and direction in one word and fits neatly into the standard crossword grid structure.

Sometimes, alternate fills appear based on grid size, clue wording, or theme:

INSHORE works when the clue hints more subtly at movement into land rather than the wind itself.
BLOW IN may appear in themed or cryptic-style grids, especially in smaller regional puzzles.

When in doubt:

If the slot is 6 letters and the clue is simple and direct → ONSHORE is the safest fill.

🧩 Blow Towards Shore Crossword Clue Wordplay & How Solvers Encounter It

The clue “Blow towards shore” is most often a straight definition, meaning the answer describes exactly what the clue says — no hidden trick.

Common clue patterns include:

“Blow towards shore” → direct → ONSHORE
“Wind that comes in” / “blow toward land” → synonym phrasing leading to ONSHORE or INSHORE
Phrasal clue variations like “blow in” may use punctuation (e.g., “Blow in?”) to indicate spacing or a two-word entry

Indicator words that signal you’re on the right track:

towards shore
toward land
from sea
bringing ships in
These strongly hint at the movement from water to land, which is the defining characteristic of an onshore wind.

Also Read: More Given to Moralising Crossword Clue Answer

Blow Towards Shore Crossword Synonyms & Near-Misses to Compare (Useful When Letters Don’t Fit)

Sometimes, letter count or crossing letters makes the obvious answer feel wrong. Here’s a quick comparison of usable and misleading options:

Term	Meaning	Crossword Fit
ONSHORE	Wind blowing toward land	✔ Primary and most common
INSHORE	Close to or moving toward the coast	✔ Accepted alternative depending on crosses
ASHORE	On land / arriving at land	⚠ Related but usually for people/objects, not wind
SEAWARD	Toward the sea	✘ Opposite direction
BLOW IN / COME IN	Multiword wind movement	✔ Rare, theme-dependent

Tip: If the clue refers clearly to wind or blowing, ASHORE is usually not the intended answer — it’s more about arrival, not direction of air movement.

Blow Towards Shore Crossword-Specific Solving Tips

For this clue, solving success often depends on grammar and pattern recognition rather than subject knowledge.

Check part of speech: The grid usually wants an adjective/adverb, which makes ONSHORE the simplest match.
Match the pattern:
- If you see _ N S H O R E → the word is almost definitely ONSHORE
- If it appears as ? O N S H O R E → check crosses, but ONSHORE remains strongest
Clue tense doesn’t change the fill:
- “blow towards shore”, “blows toward shore”, or “blowing toward shore” → all usually resolve to ONSHORE
Watch for misdirection: Some clues are written to sound like they refer to ships, people, or sea creatures — but the grid still expects the wind direction.

Blow Towards Shore Crossword Sample Clue Variants (and What They Most Likely Lead To)

Clue	Letter Count	Expected Fill	Notes
“Blow towards shore”	(6)	ONSHORE	Direct definition
“Wind that pushes landward”	(6)	ONSHORE	Synonym phrasing
“Not offshore; ___ wind”	(6)	ONSHORE	Substitution clue
“Come to land”	(6)	ASHORE	Look out — related, but not about wind
“Near the coast”	(7)	INSHORE	Nuance shifts clue away from wind

Context matters: If the clue talks about a position near land, INSHORE is more likely. If it talks about movement, ONSHORE fits.

Example of Blow Towards Shore Crossing-Letter Scenarios

Cross letters are often the fastest way to decide between ONSHORE and INSHORE.

Pattern: _ N S H O R E → ONSHORE
Pattern: O N _ H O R E → If the third letter is S after crosses → ONSHORE
Pattern: ?? S H O R E → Could be ONSHORE or INSHORE → check the first two crosses:
- ON = wind direction (→ land)
- IN = location near land (not movement)

If the clue clearly mentions blowing or pushes, choose ONSHORE even if both technically fit the pattern.

Short Practice Mini-Puzzle

Try solving these three clues as if you were in a real crossword. Answers and explanations are below.

Clue	Position	Length
1 Across: Blow towards shore	1-A	(6)
2 Down: Opposite of offshore	2-D	(6)
3 Across: Come to land	3-A	(6)

✔ Answers & Why They Fit

Clue	Correct Fill	Explanation
1-A: Blow towards shore (6)	ONSHORE	Describes wind moving from sea toward land — direct definition
2-D: Opposite of offshore (6)	ONSHORE	Offshore = wind going away from land → the opposite is onshore
3-A: Come to land (6)	ASHORE	Refers to arrival on land (of people/boats/objects), not wind — hence ASHORE, not ONSHORE

Notice how clues 1 and 2 look different but lead to the same answer because the meaning is identical. Clue 3 looks similar to the first two but requires a different word because the context is arrival, not wind direction — a classic crossword trap.

Also Read: In Which Game Do You Capture Territories by Placing X’s and O’s on a 3×3 Grid?

⚠️ Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

Even experienced solvers often struggle with this clue set. Here’s what typically goes wrong and how to fix it:

Mistake	What Happens	How to Avoid
Confusing ASHORE with ONSHORE	You choose arrival instead of wind direction	You assume one word fits, but grid needs two
Ignoring part-of-speech	You try to fill a verb where the puzzle demands an adjective	If clue works as a descriptor (e.g., “___ wind”), think ONSHORE
Not considering multi-word answers	You assume one word fits, but the grid needs two	Older or UK-style puzzles may use BLOW IN or COME IN
Assuming the obvious opposite	Entering OFFSHORE because it “sounds related”	Offshore is the opposite — don’t fall for surface-reading tricks

If the clue suggests direction or movement, not location or arrival, your safest answer is ONSHORE.

🔁 Related Clues You Might See (and What They Usually Mean)

If you can solve “Blow towards shore”, you can solve most of these too — they share the same logic.

Related Clue	Likely Fill
“Wind from sea to land”	ONSHORE
“Coastal (opposite of offshore)”	ONSHORE
“Come ashore / come to land”	ASHORE
“Near the coast”	INSHORE
“Blow in?” (with ?)	BLOW IN (two words)

Look for whether the clue refers to:

Wind movement → ONSHORE
Position near land → INSHORE
Arrival at land → ASHORE

This simple checklist resolves most confusion instantly.

🏁 Conclusion — Solver Takeaways

To decode “Blow towards shore” confidently in any crossword:

🔹 Try ONSHORE first — the most common and most accurate fill

Works for most modern American and British crosswords
Fits both straight and synonym-style cluing

🔹 Use crossing letters to confirm

If the pattern contains _ N S H O R E, ? O N S H O R E, or ??SHORE, ONSHORE is extremely likely.

🔹 Watch for traps

ASHORE = arriving at land (not wind)
INSHORE = near the coast (not necessarily blowing)
SEAWARD = opposite direction

If the clue suggests wind, blowing, movement, pushing, or direction toward land, the answer is almost always:

✨ ONSHORE