High ___

As a detective, my first instinct with a crossword clue like ‘High ___’ is to consider possible interpretations of the word ‘high’ and look for context clues in the surrounding crossword puzzle. I quickly rule out options like ‘highway’ or ‘high-rise’, as their letters don’t fit with the intersecting words. Instead, I start to think of objects or places that are high in terms of elevation. That leads me to ponder possibilities like ‘peaks’ or ‘mountains’, but those seem too specific and don’t fit with the number of spaces for the crossword answer. Then, a lightbulb goes off as I consider a different kind of high place – the sea level. This interpretation fits the available space, and the letters that intersect it, leading me to confidently write ‘SEAS’ as the answer for the crossword puzzle. The ocean is a vast and mysterious expanse, and the idea that it’s a ‘high’ place in its own right adds an intriguing layer of complexity to the puzzle, making it all the more satisfying to solve.