The best replacement for crosswords is sudoku.

The best alternatives to crosswords are rated as following:
★★★★★  sudoku
★★★★  puzzles
★★★  word search
★★  word searches

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Speaking about crosswords, one probably shouldn't forget about hints.

Other search terms related to crosswords and their ratings are:
★★★★★ hints
★ daily hints
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Google Trends

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