How do I solve 1 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

1 across reads "Stuffy broadcast by the French succeeded" (7 letters); the answer is AIRLESS. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 5 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

5 across reads "Shy female in party surly every so often" (7 letters); the answer is BASHFUL. It's a letter-selection clue: take specific letters from a longer source. 'First of' means the opening letter, 'extremely' means first + last, 'regularly' means every other letter, 'oddly' / 'evenly' means odd or even positions. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 9 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

9 across reads "Weirdo bold lad upset" (7 letters); the answer is ODDBALL. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 10 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

10 across reads "Exceed acceptable limits when praising bit of test, for example, by head of geography" (7 letters); the answer is OVEREGG. It's a letter-selection clue: take specific letters from a longer source. 'First of' means the opening letter, 'extremely' means first + last, 'regularly' means every other letter, 'oddly' / 'evenly' means odd or even positions. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 11 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

11 across reads "Replacement in box with record and drawing" (5,4 letters); the answer is SPARE PART. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 12 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

12 across reads "Inventor put back float on and off" (5 letters); the answer is TESLA. It's a letter-selection clue: take specific letters from a longer source. 'First of' means the opening letter, 'extremely' means first + last, 'regularly' means every other letter, 'oddly' / 'evenly' means odd or even positions. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 13 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

13 across reads "Nerd you and I put in base to the west" (5 letters); the answer is DWEEB. It's a reversal clue: the answer is a word read backwards. Look for indicators like 'back', 'returned', or — in a down clue — 'up' or 'lifted'. Find the source word and reverse it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 15 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

15 across reads "Popular street with one barrier to start" (9 letters); the answer is INSTIGATE. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 17 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

17 across reads "Reserve position for material" (9 letters); the answer is SUBSTANCE. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 19 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

19 across reads "Relative with time to give" (5 letters); the answer is GRANT. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 22 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

22 across reads "Quietly lounge drug-free by a public square" (5 letters); the answer is PLAZA. 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.

How do I solve 23 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

23 across reads "Record a go at clue being rewritten" (9 letters); the answer is CATALOGUE. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 25 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

25 across reads "Reunite regularly with alcohol and twist" (7 letters); the answer is ENTWINE. It's a letter-selection clue: take specific letters from a longer source. 'First of' means the opening letter, 'extremely' means first + last, 'regularly' means every other letter, 'oddly' / 'evenly' means odd or even positions. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 26 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

26 across reads "Beds made from cut up cedars left inside" (7 letters); the answer is CRADLES. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 27 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

27 across reads "News of strikes after IT returns" (7 letters); the answer is TIDINGS. It's a reversal clue: the answer is a word read backwards. Look for indicators like 'back', 'returned', or — in a down clue — 'up' or 'lifted'. Find the source word and reverse it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 28 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

28 across reads "Tempts hospital department with sorbets" (7 letters); the answer is ENTICES. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 1 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

1 down reads "Soared around clutching uniform getting hot" (7 letters); the answer is AROUSED. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 2 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

2 down reads "Engineer operated without leader or bureaucracy" (3,4 letters); the answer is RED TAPE. 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.

How do I solve 3 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

3 down reads "Dodge publicity welcomed by the First Lady" (5 letters); the answer is EVADE. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 4 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

4 down reads "Rescue avian lost at sea" (9 letters); the answer is SALVATION. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 5 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

5 down reads "Swell line crossed by canoe perhaps" (5 letters); the answer is BLOAT. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 6 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

6 down reads "Acting detective let his gun off" (9 letters); the answer is SLEUTHING. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 7 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

7 down reads "Flower faeries dancing" (7 letters); the answer is FREESIA. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 8 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

8 down reads "Bags of time following clumsy bloke by end of landing" (7 letters); the answer is LUGGAGE. It's a letter-selection clue: take specific letters from a longer source. 'First of' means the opening letter, 'extremely' means first + last, 'regularly' means every other letter, 'oddly' / 'evenly' means odd or even positions. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 14 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

14 down reads "One mammal thanks another group in combat" (9 letters); the answer is BATTALION. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 16 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

16 down reads "Show Mark fishing gear, we hear" (9 letters); the answer is SPECTACLE. It's a homophone clue: the answer sounds like another word. Indicators like 'reportedly', 'we hear', or 'sounds like' point to a word that's pronounced similarly to the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 17 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

17 down reads "Wise saint loses heart eating pastry" (7 letters); the answer is SAPIENT. 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.

How do I solve 18 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

18 down reads "Cursed bishop went on for a long time" (7 letters); the answer is BLASTED. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 20 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

20 down reads "Glance shiftily, taking in the setter being saintly" (7 letters); the answer is ANGELIC. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 21 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

21 down reads "Locks small son in forest perhaps" (7 letters); the answer is TRESSES. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 23 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

23 down reads "Game found in trunk missing base and top of spinner" (5 letters); the answer is CHESS. 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.

How do I solve 24 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236?

24 down reads "Left direction for poorest" (5 letters); the answer is LEAST. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31236 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Stuffy broadcast by the French succeeded (7) — AIRLESS

Definition
Definition found: 'Stuffy'
Wordplay
Wordplay: Charade
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'succeeded' → SS
Assembly
AIR + LE + SS = AIRLESS

Across

1A — Stuffy broadcast by the French succeeded (7) — AIRLESS

5A — Shy female in party surly every so often (7) — BASHFUL

9A — Weirdo bold lad upset (7) — ODDBALL

10A — Exceed acceptable limits when praising bit of test, for example, by head of geography (7) — OVEREGG

11A — Replacement in box with record and drawing (5,4) — SPARE PART

12A — Inventor put back float on and off (5) — TESLA

13A — Nerd you and I put in base to the west (5) — DWEEB

15A — Popular street with one barrier to start (9) — INSTIGATE

17A — Reserve position for material (9) — SUBSTANCE

19A — Relative with time to give (5) — GRANT

22A — Quietly lounge drug-free by a public square (5) — PLAZA

23A — Record a go at clue being rewritten (9) — CATALOGUE

25A — Reunite regularly with alcohol and twist (7) — ENTWINE

26A — Beds made from cut up cedars left inside (7) — CRADLES

27A — News of strikes after IT returns (7) — TIDINGS

28A — Tempts hospital department with sorbets (7) — ENTICES

Down

1D — Soared around clutching uniform getting hot (7) — AROUSED

2D — Engineer operated without leader or bureaucracy (3,4) — RED TAPE

3D — Dodge publicity welcomed by the First Lady (5) — EVADE

4D — Rescue avian lost at sea (9) — SALVATION

5D — Swell line crossed by canoe perhaps (5) — BLOAT

6D — Acting detective let his gun off (9) — SLEUTHING

7D — Flower faeries dancing (7) — FREESIA

8D — Bags of time following clumsy bloke by end of landing (7) — LUGGAGE

14D — One mammal thanks another group in combat (9) — BATTALION

16D — Show Mark fishing gear, we hear (9) — SPECTACLE

17D — Wise saint loses heart eating pastry (7) — SAPIENT

18D — Cursed bishop went on for a long time (7) — BLASTED

20D — Glance shiftily, taking in the setter being saintly (7) — ANGELIC

21D — Locks small son in forest perhaps (7) — TRESSES

23D — Game found in trunk missing base and top of spinner (5) — CHESS

24D — Left direction for poorest (5) — LEAST