How do I solve 16 across in Times Cryptic 29534?

Question

Accepted Answer

16 across reads "Chief taking off first of the month" (4 letters); the answer is ARCH. It's a deletion clue: start with a word the clue points to, then drop one or more letters. Indicators include 'endlessly' (lose the last letter), 'beheaded' (lose the first), or 'heartlessly' (lose the middle). The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Chief taking off first of the month (4)

16A — Chief taking off first of the month (4) — ARCH