How do I solve 1 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

1 across reads "Search advanced into blacksmith's workshop" (6 letters); the answer is FORAGE. 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 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

4 across reads "Doctor bathes in booze" (8 letters); the answer is ABSINTHE. 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 9 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

9 across reads "Rogue artist's still losing millions" (6 letters); the answer is RASCAL. 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 10 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

10 across reads "Reportedly requiring massaging" (8 letters); the answer is KNEADING. 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 12 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

12 across reads "Dull, annoying person ringing editor then managed to grab the setter" (10 letters); the answer is PEDESTRIAN. 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 31242?

13 across reads "Uncultivated land with space to the west" (4 letters); the answer is MOOR. 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 14 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

14 across reads "Need to pay poet, barely holding on to wife" (3 letters); the answer is OWE. 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 15 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

15 across reads "Arrogant vow engineer breaks" (11 letters); the answer is OVERWEENING. 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 18 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

18 across reads "Better publish about head of government's digital ID" (11 letters); the answer is FINGERPRINT. 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 20 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

20 across reads "Sheep's memory" (3 letters); the answer is RAM. It's a double-definition clue: two separate definitions of the same word sit side by side. No wordplay split and no indicators — both halves of the clue define the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 21 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

21 across reads "Set of expectations about lyric poem" (4 letters); the answer is CODE. 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 31242?

22 across reads "Somehow reaches dim mathematician" (10 letters); the answer is ARCHIMEDES. 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 31242?

24 across reads "Unqualified able seamen in front of old instrument" (8 letters); the answer is ABSOLUTE. 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 25 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

25 across reads "Small company importing revolutionary wound plaster" (6 letters); the answer is STUCCO. 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 26 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

26 across reads "Regularly see aged toys getting repaired" (2,6 letters); the answer is GO STEADY. 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 31242?

27 across reads "Friend penning second manuscript for book" (6 letters); the answer is PSALMS. 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 1 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

1 down reads "Not combustible if looking up concerning evidence" (9 letters); the answer is FIREPROOF. 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 2 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

2 down reads "What remains of troops you heard breaching flank" (7 letters); the answer is RESIDUE. 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 3 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

3 down reads "Prime minister sending lads to nearby houses" (9 letters); the answer is GLADSTONE. 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 5 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

5 down reads "Boxer and outlaw intoxicated, drinking in the morning with European" (12 letters); the answer is BANTAMWEIGHT. 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 6 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

6 down reads "Religious leader's Mass supporting current postgraduate" (4 letters); the answer is IMAM. 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 7 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

7 down reads "Group of three left one securing parking in capital" (7 letters); the answer is TRIPOLI. 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 8 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

8 down reads "Article in Madrid newspaper about composer" (5 letters); the answer is ELGAR. 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 11 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

11 down reads "Unconventional, suspect I prefer diets" (4-8 letters); the answer is FREE-SPIRITED. 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 16 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

16 down reads "Guesses friend enters sites getting renovated" (9 letters); the answer is ESTIMATES. 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 17 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

17 down reads "Programmes in Georgia question occupying military dining hall" (4,5 letters); the answer is GAME SHOWS. 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 19 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

19 down reads "Detectives probing crazy people with no clothes on" (7 letters); the answer is NUDISTS. 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 20 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

20 down reads "Militant section of placid army in retreat" (7 letters); the answer is RADICAL. 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 31242?

21 down reads "Loud noise from family dog's bottom" (5 letters); the answer is CLANG. 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 23 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242?

23 down reads "Wasted on the radio? That's indecent" (4 letters); the answer is BLUE. 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.

Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31242 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Search advanced into blacksmith's workshop (6) — FORAGE

Definition
Definition found: 'Search' — The definition of the answer is 'Search'.
Indicator
Indicator found: 'into'
Operation
'into' signals a container operation
Fodder
Fodder: 'advanced blacksmith's workshop'
Synonym
Synonyms spotted: 'blacksmith's workshop' → FORGE
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'advanced' → A
Assembly
FORGE + A = FOR(A)GE

Across

1A — Search advanced into blacksmith's workshop (6) — FORAGE

4A — Doctor bathes in booze (8) — ABSINTHE

9A — Rogue artist's still losing millions (6) — RASCAL

10A — Reportedly requiring massaging (8) — KNEADING

12A — Dull, annoying person ringing editor then managed to grab the setter (10) — PEDESTRIAN

13A — Uncultivated land with space to the west (4) — MOOR

14A — Need to pay poet, barely holding on to wife (3) — OWE

15A — Arrogant vow engineer breaks (11) — OVERWEENING

18A — Better publish about head of government's digital ID (11) — FINGERPRINT

20A — Sheep's memory (3) — RAM

21A — Set of expectations about lyric poem (4) — CODE

22A — Somehow reaches dim mathematician (10) — ARCHIMEDES

24A — Unqualified able seamen in front of old instrument (8) — ABSOLUTE

25A — Small company importing revolutionary wound plaster (6) — STUCCO

26A — Regularly see aged toys getting repaired (2,6) — GO STEADY

27A — Friend penning second manuscript for book (6) — PSALMS

Down

1D — Not combustible if looking up concerning evidence (9) — FIREPROOF

2D — What remains of troops you heard breaching flank (7) — RESIDUE

3D — Prime minister sending lads to nearby houses (9) — GLADSTONE

5D — Boxer and outlaw intoxicated, drinking in the morning with European (12) — BANTAMWEIGHT

6D — Religious leader's Mass supporting current postgraduate (4) — IMAM

7D — Group of three left one securing parking in capital (7) — TRIPOLI

8D — Article in Madrid newspaper about composer (5) — ELGAR

11D — Unconventional, suspect I prefer diets (4-8) — FREE-SPIRITED

16D — Guesses friend enters sites getting renovated (9) — ESTIMATES

17D — Programmes in Georgia question occupying military dining hall (4,5) — GAME SHOWS

19D — Detectives probing crazy people with no clothes on (7) — NUDISTS

20D — Militant section of placid army in retreat (7) — RADICAL

21D — Loud noise from family dog's bottom (5) — CLANG

23D — Wasted on the radio? That's indecent (4) — BLUE