How do I solve 1 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

1 across reads "Returning star: Bristol runner?" (4 letters); the answer is AVON. 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 3 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

3 across reads "Flying machine triple echo interfered with" (10 letters); the answer is HELICOPTER. 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 31241?

10 across reads "Vessel carrying evil weapons" (9 letters); the answer is ARTILLERY. 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 11 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

11 across reads "Hertfordshire town tango band" (5 letters); the answer is TRING. 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 31241?

12 across reads "Exhausted writer in street" (5 letters); the answer is SPENT. 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 13 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

13 across reads "Carlos, El Muerto, initially disturbed everyone" (9 letters); the answer is ALLCOMERS. 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 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

14 across reads "Receptacle former PM brought in without delay" (8 letters); the answer is SPITTOON. 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 16 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

16 across reads "Legendary ruler in craft endlessly upset" (6 letters); the answer is ARTHUR. 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 19 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

19 across reads "Score less than 100" (6 letters); the answer is EIGHTY. It's a cryptic definition: the whole clue is a playful or punny description of the answer. No wordplay decomposition to do — read laterally and identify what's being described. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 20 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

20 across reads "Salesman and consumer in Winchester?" (8 letters); the answer is REPEATER. 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 31241?

22 across reads "Cover tuna April cooked" (9 letters); the answer is TARPAULIN. 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 24 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

24 across reads "The Dandy's flipping entertaining old satire" (5 letters); the answer is SPOOF. 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 26 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

26 across reads "Revolutionary phase?" (5 letters); the answer is CYCLE. It's a cryptic definition: the whole clue is a playful or punny description of the answer. No wordplay decomposition to do — read laterally and identify what's being described. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 27 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

27 across reads "Antagonistic Iran tests explosive" (9 letters); the answer is RESISTANT. 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 28 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

28 across reads "One pair in front seeing what's said" (3-7 letters); the answer is LIP-READING. 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 29 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

29 across reads "Devil or demon embracing God" (4 letters); the answer is LORD. It's a hidden-word clue: the answer is spelled out by consecutive letters in the clue itself, often crossing a word boundary. Indicators like 'in', 'some', or 'part of' signal that you're looking at a substring. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 1 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

1 down reads "First Lady's partner's an old president" (5 letters); the answer is ADAMS. 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 4 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

4 down reads "Means to rise to the top in Washington?" (8 letters); the answer is ELEVATOR. It's a cryptic definition: the whole clue is a playful or punny description of the answer. No wordplay decomposition to do — read laterally and identify what's being described. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 5 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

5 down reads "Move like filthy dogs circling knight in 21 29 18 26" (6,2,3,4 letters); the answer is IDYLLS OF THE KING. It's a cryptic definition: the whole clue is a playful or punny description of the answer. No wordplay decomposition to do — read laterally and identify what's being described. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 6 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

6 down reads "Subcontract abroad before spring" (9 letters); the answer is OUTSOURCE. 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 7 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

7 down reads "Kid adopted by the heartless race" (5 letters); the answer is TRIBE. 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 8 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

8 down reads "Marrow right when screened by back doctor" (9 letters); the answer is REGISTRAR. 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 9 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

9 down reads "Fool caught by destiny" (4 letters); the answer is CLOT. 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 14 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

14 down reads "Dubious plastic recycled outside church" (9 letters); the answer is SCEPTICAL. 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 15 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

15 down reads "Revolutionary film repeatedly inspires a discussion" (4-1-4 letters); the answer is TETE-A-TETE. 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 17 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

17 down reads "Dish given author regularly? Controversial matter!" (3,6 letters); the answer is HOT POTATO. 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 18 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

18 down reads "Curious new trap set up laureate once" (8 letters); the answer is TENNYSON. 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 21 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

21 down reads "King Crimson supports a large following" (6 letters); the answer is ALFRED. 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 23 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

23 down reads "Run with raised speed – run over again!" (5 letters); the answer is RECAP. 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 24 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

24 down reads "Elite soldiers bashing in middle window frame" (4 letters); the answer is SASH. 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 25 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241?

25 down reads "Offensively smelly G-man keeping it up" (5 letters); the answer is FETID. 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.

Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31241 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Returning star: Bristol runner? (4) — AVON

Definition
Definition found: 'Bristol runner?' — A runner is a river, so we are looking for a river that runs through Bristol.
Indicator
Indicator found: 'Returning'
Operation
'Returning' signals a reversal operation
Fodder
Fodder: 'star:'
Synonym
Synonyms spotted: 'star:' → NOVA
Assembly
NOVA = AVON

Across

1A — Returning star: Bristol runner? (4) — AVON

3A — Flying machine triple echo interfered with (10) — HELICOPTER

10A — Vessel carrying evil weapons (9) — ARTILLERY

11A — Hertfordshire town tango band (5) — TRING

12A — Exhausted writer in street (5) — SPENT

13A — Carlos, El Muerto, initially disturbed everyone (9) — ALLCOMERS

14A — Receptacle former PM brought in without delay (8) — SPITTOON

16A — Legendary ruler in craft endlessly upset (6) — ARTHUR

19A — Score less than 100 (6) — EIGHTY

20A — Salesman and consumer in Winchester? (8) — REPEATER

22A — Cover tuna April cooked (9) — TARPAULIN

24A — The Dandy's flipping entertaining old satire (5) — SPOOF

26A — Revolutionary phase? (5) — CYCLE

27A — Antagonistic Iran tests explosive (9) — RESISTANT

28A — One pair in front seeing what's said (3-7) — LIP-READING

29A — Devil or demon embracing God (4) — LORD

Down

1D — First Lady's partner's an old president (5) — ADAMS

4D — Means to rise to the top in Washington? (8) — ELEVATOR

5D — Move like filthy dogs circling knight in 21 29 18 26 (6,2,3,4) — IDYLLS OF THE KING

6D — Subcontract abroad before spring (9) — OUTSOURCE

7D — Kid adopted by the heartless race (5) — TRIBE

8D — Marrow right when screened by back doctor (9) — REGISTRAR

9D — Fool caught by destiny (4) — CLOT

14D — Dubious plastic recycled outside church (9) — SCEPTICAL

15D — Revolutionary film repeatedly inspires a discussion (4-1-4) — TETE-A-TETE

17D — Dish given author regularly? Controversial matter! (3,6) — HOT POTATO

18D — Curious new trap set up laureate once (8) — TENNYSON

21D — King Crimson supports a large following (6) — ALFRED

23D — Run with raised speed – run over again! (5) — RECAP

24D — Elite soldiers bashing in middle window frame (4) — SASH

25D — Offensively smelly G-man keeping it up (5) — FETID