How do I solve 1 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

1 across reads "Checks digestive issue – without question these things are a let-down" (4,6 letters); the answer is DAMP SQUIBS. 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 6 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

6 across reads "Couple object" (4 letters); the answer is ITEM. 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 31258?

10 across reads "Physical strength of brute moving weight to the end" (5 letters); the answer is SINEW. 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 31258?

11 across reads "One working on cool apartment's expansion" (9 letters); the answer is INFLATION. 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 12 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

12 across reads "Rum – extremely sweet variety" (7 letters); the answer is STRANGE. 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 13 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

13 across reads "Artful trick from minor in audition" (7 letters); the answer is SLEIGHT. 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 14 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

14 across reads "Graham's band's involved in robbery?" (5-3-4 letters); the answer is SMASH-AND-GRAB. 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 31258?

18 across reads "Words to suggest let's try comic TV show" (8,4,7 letters); the answer is STRICTLY COME DANCING. 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 23 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

23 across reads "Take advantage of some candles I lit up on the counter" (7 letters); the answer is UTILISE. 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 24 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

24 across reads "Humiliation in a cellar" (9 letters); the answer is ABASEMENT. 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 25 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

25 across reads "Initially Westward Ho! is really lovely for brief trip" (5 letters); the answer is WHIRL. 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 31258?

26 across reads "Possibly left team" (4 letters); the answer is SIDE. 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 27 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

27 across reads "Guy fined in Barking is not improving" (10 letters); the answer is UNEDIFYING. 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 1 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

1 down reads "Stop in Germany and in France catching ships regularly" (6 letters); the answer is DESIST. 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 2 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

2 down reads "Old woman with carer after son leaves to get dressing" (6 letters); the answer is MANURE. 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 31258?

3 down reads "Singer makes these EMI castings when taking time out to be flexible" (6,8 letters); the answer is SEWING MACHINES. 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 4 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

4 down reads "Something cleaner than PG Tips for us – nose varies when brewed and left" (9 letters); the answer is UNIVERSAL. 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 5 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

5 down reads "Coach handles very loud fans" (5 letters); the answer is BUFFS. 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 31258?

7 down reads "Spurs team principally supported by oil workers" (8 letters); the answer is TRIGGERS. 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 31258?

8 down reads "Crew on island with boat abandoned somewhere in Canada" (8 letters); the answer is MANITOBA. 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 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

9 down reads "Model met wife with a vodka – I disapprove" (4,1,3,4,2 letters); the answer is TAKE A DIM VIEW OF. 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 31258?

15 down reads "Esteemed American clubs rely on journalist" (9 letters); the answer is ACCOUNTED. 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 31258?

16 down reads "Old wheels when cycling caused risk occasionally" (4,4 letters); the answer is USED CARS. 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 31258?

17 down reads "Close to Old Ford Road hosting function in boozer" (8 letters); the answer is DRUNKARD. 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 19 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

19 down reads "Big kid with no bottoms, returning home to get swimming costume" (6 letters); the answer is BIKINI. 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 20 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

20 down reads "Traveller's complaint having rented posh car from Spooner" (3,3 letters); the answer is JET LAG. 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 22 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31258?

22 down reads "Constituents to mingle and gather" (5 letters); the answer is GLEAN. 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 31258 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Checks digestive issue – without question these things are a let-down (4,6) — DAMP SQUIBS

Definition
Definition found: 'these things are a let-down'
Wordplay
Wordplay: Charade
Synonym
Synonyms spotted: 'Checks' → DAMPS
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'digestive issue' → IBS
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'question' → QU
Assembly
DAMPS + IBS + QU = DAMP SQUIBS

Across

1A — Checks digestive issue – without question these things are a let-down (4,6) — DAMP SQUIBS

6A — Couple object (4) — ITEM

10A — Physical strength of brute moving weight to the end (5) — SINEW

11A — One working on cool apartment's expansion (9) — INFLATION

12A — Rum – extremely sweet variety (7) — STRANGE

13A — Artful trick from minor in audition (7) — SLEIGHT

14A — Graham's band's involved in robbery? (5-3-4) — SMASH-AND-GRAB

18A — Words to suggest let's try comic TV show (8,4,7) — STRICTLY COME DANCING

23A — Take advantage of some candles I lit up on the counter (7) — UTILISE

24A — Humiliation in a cellar (9) — ABASEMENT

25A — Initially Westward Ho! is really lovely for brief trip (5) — WHIRL

26A — Possibly left team (4) — SIDE

27A — Guy fined in Barking is not improving (10) — UNEDIFYING

Down

1D — Stop in Germany and in France catching ships regularly (6) — DESIST

2D — Old woman with carer after son leaves to get dressing (6) — MANURE

3D — Singer makes these EMI castings when taking time out to be flexible (6,8) — SEWING MACHINES

4D — Something cleaner than PG Tips for us – nose varies when brewed and left (9) — UNIVERSAL

5D — Coach handles very loud fans (5) — BUFFS

7D — Spurs team principally supported by oil workers (8) — TRIGGERS

8D — Crew on island with boat abandoned somewhere in Canada (8) — MANITOBA

9D — Model met wife with a vodka – I disapprove (4,1,3,4,2) — TAKE A DIM VIEW OF

15D — Esteemed American clubs rely on journalist (9) — ACCOUNTED

16D — Old wheels when cycling caused risk occasionally (4,4) — USED CARS

17D — Close to Old Ford Road hosting function in boozer (8) — DRUNKARD

19D — Big kid with no bottoms, returning home to get swimming costume (6) — BIKINI

20D — Traveller's complaint having rented posh car from Spooner (3,3) — JET LAG

22D — Constituents to mingle and gather (5) — GLEAN