Stumped by a Crossword Clue? Discover the Surprising Answer to ‘One who grows up, then eventually croaks’

As a detective, I approach this crossword clue with a keen eye for detail and a logical thought process. Firstly, I noticed the reference to someone growing up, which immediately brought to mind the life stages of a typical amphibian. Then, I saw the word “croaks”, which is a term often associated with the sound made by frogs, a type of amphibian. Putting these two observations together, I deduced that the answer must be a type of amphibian that undergoes metamorphosis from being a tadpole to a mature adult. And thus, the answer to this intriguing crossword puzzle is TADPOLE, a creature that embodies the concept of growth and development into adulthood in an aquatic environment, before eventually becoming a fully-formed frog. It’s a perfect example of how observation, logic and deduction can lead to solving even the most puzzling of mysteries.