How do I solve 1 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

1 across reads "Bird, female, going over fence" (7 letters); the answer is SWALLOW. 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 31246?

5 across reads "Preset a broadcast for most BBC Four programmes?" (7 letters); the answer is REPEATS. 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 31246?

9 across reads "A domain for press officer dealing with personal cover" (5 letters); the answer is APRON. 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 10 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

10 across reads "Spooner's fancy, girl that starts out hot and bubbly" (9 letters); the answer is DISHWATER. 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 31246?

11 across reads "Academic clue: Controversy over king and slavery" (6-4 letters); the answer is DONKEY-WORK. 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 12 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

12 across reads "Latest about caging rook and another bird ..." (4 letters); the answer is WREN. 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 31246?

14 across reads "... "I deny smuggling bird" – rogue holding right papers?" (8,4 letters); the answer is IDENTITY CARD. 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 31246?

18 across reads "Growing high and mighty, called out the arts" (12 letters); the answer is HORTICULTURE. 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 21 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

21 across reads "Reckless to use bit of bacon with a third off" (4 letters); the answer is RASH. 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 22 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

22 across reads "Cartoon character, old and troubled by love" (6,4 letters); the answer is DONALD DUCK. 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 31246?

25 across reads "In retreat, I'd keep quiet about our humiliation" (9 letters); the answer is DISHONOUR. 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 31246?

26 across reads "Magnetism found in taps before detachment" (5 letters); the answer is CHARM. 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 27 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

27 across reads "August time consumed in scheming" (7 letters); the answer is STATELY. 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 28 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

28 across reads "Desmond and Helen's city break" (7 letters); the answer is DESTROY. 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 31246?

1 down reads "Drink available after seconds" (6 letters); the answer is SHANDY. 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 2 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

2 down reads "Unwell, with change of direction causing exposure" (6 letters); the answer is AIRING. 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 3 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

3 down reads "See the answer, fill in, see do I like this fluid setter?" (7,3 letters); the answer is LINSEED OIL. 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 4 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

4 down reads "Central London party attended by wife whose husband's left?" (5 letters); the answer is WIDOW. 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 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

5 down reads "Check surplus water coming down – first sign of trouble" (9 letters); the answer is RESTRAINT. 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 6 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

6 down reads "Smallest man's raunchy pictures reported" (4 letters); the answer is PAWN. 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 7 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

7 down reads "Heading north in Guatemala, I retraced sort of road" (8 letters); the answer is ARTERIAL. 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 8 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

8 down reads "Love song endears, writhing with ecstasy" (8 letters); the answer is SERENADE. 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 13 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

13 down reads "Side effects for cutting through pipes" (2-8 letters); the answer is BY-PRODUCTS. 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 15 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

15 down reads "Loony urge resolved in doctor's study?" (9 letters); the answer is NEUROLOGY. 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 31246?

16 down reads "Guessing game as race's entered by a Democrat under 100" (8 letters); the answer is CHARADES. 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 17 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

17 down reads "Tory PM cycling south-east area deep in our region" (5,3 letters); the answer is IRISH SEA. 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 19 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

19 down reads "Gold couple will give nanny?" (2,4 letters); the answer is AU PAIR. 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 31246?

20 down reads "Heavens, grasping minx getting tight" (6 letters); the answer is SKIMPY. 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 31246?

23 down reads "Harsh Republican taking LSD? On the contrary" (5 letters); the answer is ACRID. 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 24 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246?

24 down reads "Left grounded after regular absences" (4 letters); the answer is GONE. 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.

Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31246 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Bird, female, going over fence (7) — SWALLOW

Definition
Definition found: 'Bird,'
Wordplay
Wordplay: Charade
Synonym
Synonyms spotted: 'female,' → SOW
Synonym
Synonyms spotted: 'fence' → WALL
Assembly
SOW + WALL = SWALLOW

Across

1A — Bird, female, going over fence (7) — SWALLOW

5A — Preset a broadcast for most BBC Four programmes? (7) — REPEATS

9A — A domain for press officer dealing with personal cover (5) — APRON

10A — Spooner's fancy, girl that starts out hot and bubbly (9) — DISHWATER

11A — Academic clue: Controversy over king and slavery (6-4) — DONKEY-WORK

12A — Latest about caging rook and another bird ... (4) — WREN

14A — ... "I deny smuggling bird" – rogue holding right papers? (8,4) — IDENTITY CARD

18A — Growing high and mighty, called out the arts (12) — HORTICULTURE

21A — Reckless to use bit of bacon with a third off (4) — RASH

22A — Cartoon character, old and troubled by love (6,4) — DONALD DUCK

25A — In retreat, I'd keep quiet about our humiliation (9) — DISHONOUR

26A — Magnetism found in taps before detachment (5) — CHARM

27A — August time consumed in scheming (7) — STATELY

28A — Desmond and Helen's city break (7) — DESTROY

Down

1D — Drink available after seconds (6) — SHANDY

2D — Unwell, with change of direction causing exposure (6) — AIRING

3D — See the answer, fill in, see do I like this fluid setter? (7,3) — LINSEED OIL

4D — Central London party attended by wife whose husband's left? (5) — WIDOW

5D — Check surplus water coming down – first sign of trouble (9) — RESTRAINT

6D — Smallest man's raunchy pictures reported (4) — PAWN

7D — Heading north in Guatemala, I retraced sort of road (8) — ARTERIAL

8D — Love song endears, writhing with ecstasy (8) — SERENADE

13D — Side effects for cutting through pipes (2-8) — BY-PRODUCTS

15D — Loony urge resolved in doctor's study? (9) — NEUROLOGY

16D — Guessing game as race's entered by a Democrat under 100 (8) — CHARADES

17D — Tory PM cycling south-east area deep in our region (5,3) — IRISH SEA

19D — Gold couple will give nanny? (2,4) — AU PAIR

20D — Heavens, grasping minx getting tight (6) — SKIMPY

23D — Harsh Republican taking LSD? On the contrary (5) — ACRID

24D — Left grounded after regular absences (4) — GONE