Clues for the word "MOTIVE"
We've had 52 crossword clues used for this word, and seen it 81 times in crosswords. It was last seen in Evening Standard Quick crossword on September 08, 2025.
Definition of motive
- n. - That which moves; a mover.
- n. - That which incites to action; anything prompting or exciting to choise, or moving the will; cause; reason; inducement; object.
- n. - The theme or subject; a leading phrase or passage which is reproduced and varied through the course of a comor a movement; a short figure, or melodic germ, out of which a whole movement is develpoed. See also Leading motive, under Leading.
- n. - That which produces conception, invention, or creation in the mind of the artist in undertaking his subject; the guiding or controlling idea manifested in a work of art, or any part of one.
- a. - Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as, a motive argument; motive power.
- v. t. - To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
Referring Clues
- Murder mystery necessity
- Whodunit necessity
- Whodunit plot element
- Mystery element
- Whodunit discovery
- Accompanier of means and opportunity
- Incentive
- Trial attorney's concern
- Whodunit component
- Reason for a crime
- Cause for a crime
- Driving force
- Compelling reason
- Whodunit element
- Criminal's reason
- Reason
- Aspect of a crime investigation
- Envy, anger or greed, maybe
- ___, means and opportunity
- Gumshoe's quest
- The reason why
- Detective's determination
- Whodunit's why
- Greed or revenge, perhaps
- Reason for an action
- Whodunit why
- Issue in a murder trial
- Whodunit reason
- Reasoning behind a crime
- Reason for action
- Underlying purpose
- Inspiration sought by detectives?
- Reject the origins of theory of mind? I have a reason
- Underlying intention
- What induces one to take a certain action
- Car test I have for good reason
- Reason for doing something
- The kind of power often sought by detectives
- From time to time I have reason to act
- Reason Italian's back in action
- Purpose of test setter's taken
- Concern for Poirot
- Criminal's 'why'
- What made you shift it back in?
- Why you get some time in stir
- Usually bad reason
- Purpose
- Part of a detective’s theory
- Cause for actions
- Rationale
- Why shift it back inside?
- Propose it should be turned in and that's why
Last Seen In
- Evening Standard Quick - September 08, 2025
- Penny Dell Daily - June 23, 2025
- Penny Dell Daily - March 07, 2025
- Evening Standard Cryptic - November 05, 2024
- Evening Standard Easy - October 07, 2024
- Evening Standard Cryptic - September 20, 2024
- Mirror Mini - August 07, 2024
- Evening Standard Easy - March 15, 2024
- Evening Standard Quick - February 26, 2024
- Evening Standard Cryptic - February 16, 2024
- Evening Standard Quick - February 07, 2024
- Evening Standard Easy - January 16, 2024
- Evening Standard Easy - November 01, 2023
- Mirror Mini - August 07, 2023
- Evening Standard Quick - July 20, 2023
- King Syndicate - Thomas Joseph - May 06, 2023
- King Syndicate - Eugene Sheffer - December 17, 2022
- USA Today - November 08, 2022
- King Syndicate - Eugene Sheffer - October 01, 2022
- Evening Standard Easy - September 22, 2022
- New York Times - August 25, 2022
- Mirror Mini - August 07, 2022
- Evening Standard Quick - January 29, 2018
- Mirror Quick - January 11, 2018
- Evening Standard Quick - January 10, 2018
- Evening Standard Easy - November 08, 2017
- Netword - September 06, 2017
- Evening Standard Easy - August 30, 2017
- Evening Standard Quick - July 04, 2017
- King Syndicate - Thomas Joseph - May 27, 2017
- And in 51 more crossword puzzles...