How do I solve 1 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

1 across reads "Good time to restrain American Air Force" (4 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 3 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

3 across reads "Marcel Marceau seemingly such a green activist?" (4-6 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 10 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

10 across reads "An important first for subversive?" (9 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 11 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

11 across reads "All dwarfs small and equal?" (5 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 12 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

12 across reads "Course taken by European film company" (5 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 13 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

13 across reads "Check name in claim for dispute" (9 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 14 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

14 across reads "10 Across, no saint, deceptive Persian enemy?" (8 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 16 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

16 across reads "Four from Rome in vessels for turns" (6 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 19 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

19 across reads "Bats amused snake-haired monster" (6 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 20 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

20 across reads "Boys circling northern edge fall from cliff" (8 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 22 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

22 across reads "Okay writer one sees regularly" (9 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 26 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

26 across reads "Number pledging future constitutional support?" (5,5,4,5 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 28 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

28 across reads "Extremely reasonable request for copy" (10 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 29 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

29 across reads "Lewis for one is extremely louche" (4 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 1 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

1 down reads "See a little government file" (5 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 2 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

2 down reads "Very tired and broken" (9 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 4 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

4 down reads "Mac artist at home with paint" (8 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 5 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

5 down reads "Deceive mate endlessly sent up" (6 letters). 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). Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 6 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

6 down reads "Immaculate Lulu dines out" (9 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 7 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

7 down reads "Journey on goods vehicle in Glasgow district" (5 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 8 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

8 down reads "Narrow carpets lifted in seconds?" (7-2 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 9 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

9 down reads "Spots an East End carriage reportedly?" (4 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 14 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

14 down reads "Yes! Warm to mischievous adventurer!" (3,6 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 15 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

15 down reads "French dish, lost cause, failed" (9 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 17 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

17 down reads "Ignorant learner I marked externally" (9 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 18 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

18 down reads "Where one goes after class tracked location?" (8 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 21 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

21 down reads "Lad I'm with, not all there: thicko" (6 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 23 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

23 down reads "Beginning of the end for POTUS" (5 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 24 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

24 down reads "Cattle interact periodically" (4 letters). 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. Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

How do I solve 25 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 without spoilers?

25 down reads "Old official Chancellor finishing early" (5 letters). 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). Work the structure step by step in the trainer — definition first, then the wordplay parts — with the answer kept hidden until the prize closes.

Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253 Prize Puzzle

1A — Good time to restrain American Air Force (4)

Definition
Definition found: 'Air Force'
Indicator
Indicator found: 'to restrain'
Operation
'to restrain' signals a container operation
Fodder
Fodder: 'Good time American'
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'Good'
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'time'
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'American'

Across

1A — Good time to restrain American Air Force (4)

3A — Marcel Marceau seemingly such a green activist? (4-6)

10A — An important first for subversive? (9)

11A — All dwarfs small and equal? (5)

12A — Course taken by European film company (5)

13A — Check name in claim for dispute (9)

14A — 10 Across, no saint, deceptive Persian enemy? (8)

16A — Four from Rome in vessels for turns (6)

19A — Bats amused snake-haired monster (6)

20A — Boys circling northern edge fall from cliff (8)

22A — Okay writer one sees regularly (9)

26A — Number pledging future constitutional support? (5,5,4,5)

28A — Extremely reasonable request for copy (10)

29A — Lewis for one is extremely louche (4)

Down

1D — See a little government file (5)

2D — Very tired and broken (9)

4D — Mac artist at home with paint (8)

5D — Deceive mate endlessly sent up (6)

6D — Immaculate Lulu dines out (9)

7D — Journey on goods vehicle in Glasgow district (5)

8D — Narrow carpets lifted in seconds? (7-2)

9D — Spots an East End carriage reportedly? (4)

14D — Yes! Warm to mischievous adventurer! (3,6)

15D — French dish, lost cause, failed (9)

17D — Ignorant learner I marked externally (9)

18D — Where one goes after class tracked location? (8)

21D — Lad I'm with, not all there: thicko (6)

23D — Beginning of the end for POTUS (5)

24D — Cattle interact periodically (4)

25D — Old official Chancellor finishing early (5)