Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31265 — Prize Puzzle

🏆 Prize Puzzle — hints without spoilers.

Stuck on a clue? Every clue below has step-by-step hints, the wordplay structure, and a convention lookup — work out the definition, the technique, and the indicator words yourself, without seeing the answer. Full solutions and wordplay appear here once the competition closes on .

Across

1A — Staggering loan some day for already wealthy person (11)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'already wealthy person'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'Staggering'
  • Operation
    'Staggering' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'loan some day'

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7A — Hard answer no good? Setter perhaps guilty (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'guilty'
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Charade
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Hard'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'answer'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'no good?'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Setter perhaps'

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8A — Milk product – gallons upset by vacuous yobbo (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Milk product'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'vacuous'
  • Operation
    'vacuous' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'yobbo'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'gallons'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'upset'

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10A — Chat about roundabout ahead of motorway? It's not important (2,6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'It's not important'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'about'
  • Operation
    'about' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Chat roundabout motorway?'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Chat'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'roundabout'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'motorway?'

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11A — Close to grandma, kid's relaxed (2,4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'relaxed'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'Close to'
  • Operation
    'Close to' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'grandma,'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'kid's'

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13A — During November, start to source places to stay (4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'places to stay'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'start to'
  • Operation
    'start to' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'source'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'During'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'November,'

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14A — Try granola, prepared with pride (10)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'with pride'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'prepared'
  • Operation
    'prepared' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Try granola,'

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16A — Biscuits and drink next to German out to lunch (6,4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Biscuits'
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Charade
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'drink'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'German'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'out to lunch'

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18A — Multiple choice involves such repetition (4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'such repetition'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'involves'
  • Operation
    'involves' signals a hidden_word operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Multiple choice'

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21A — Object to Post Office overturning present (6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Object to'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'overturning'
  • Operation
    'overturning' signals a reversal operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Post Office'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Post Office'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'present'

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22A — Small part of shower control reported by doctor before work (8)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Small part of shower'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'reported'
  • Operation
    'reported' signals a homophone operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'control'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'control'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'doctor'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'work'

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24A — Hair found in youth's ale – yeuch! – sent back (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Hair'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'found in'
  • Operation
    'found in' signals a hidden_word operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'youth's ale yeuch!'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'sent back'
  • Operation
    'sent back' signals a reversal operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'youth's ale yeuch!'

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25A — More irate near girl ignoring learner driver manoeuvring (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'More irate'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'ignoring learner driver'
  • Operation
    'ignoring learner driver' signals a deletion operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'near girl'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'manoeuvring'
  • Operation
    'manoeuvring' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'near girl'

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26A — One destined to climb high in their chosen profession? (11)

  • Definition
    The whole clue is one cryptic definition — read it laterally.
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: ''
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Cryptic definition

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Down

1D — Label and zip the wrong way around for American footballer (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'American footballer'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'the wrong way around'
  • Operation
    'the wrong way around' signals a reversal operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Label zip'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Label'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'zip'

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2D — Checks how Tesla gets going, boxed in by German cars (6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Checks'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'gets going,'
  • Operation
    'gets going,' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Tesla'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'boxed in by'
  • Operation
    'boxed in by' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Tesla German cars'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'German cars'

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3D — Young bird audible? Call for digital enhancement (6,4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'digital enhancement'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'audible?'
  • Operation
    'audible?' signals a homophone operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Young bird'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Young bird'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Call'

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4D — Irish county's blossom regrowing in the middle (4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Irish county's'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'in the middle'
  • Operation
    'in the middle' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'regrowing'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'blossom'

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5D — Thing broadcast on Clash singer after dark (8)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'singer after dark'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'broadcast'
  • Operation
    'broadcast' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Thing'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Clash'

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6D — Warning from solver primarily wanting variety now and then? (3,4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Warning'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'primarily'
  • Operation
    'primarily' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'wanting'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'now and then?'
  • Operation
    'now and then?' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'variety'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'solver'

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7D — In cahoots, what some do at lost property office? (4,2,5)

  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Double definition

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9D — Fashionable adolescent's two hats for Spooner (5-6)

  • Definition
    The whole clue is one cryptic definition — read it laterally.
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: ''
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Cryptic definition

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12D — Kind friend scoffed portion of chops (4,6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'portion of chops'
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Charade
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Kind'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'friend'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'scoffed'

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15D — Eased up, working to accommodate Republican lobby (8)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'lobby'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'working'
  • Operation
    'working' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Eased up,'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'to accommodate'
  • Operation
    'to accommodate' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Eased up,'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Republican'

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17D — Kidnap persecutors covering heads (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'heads'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'covering'
  • Operation
    'covering' signals a hidden_word operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Kidnap persecutors'

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19D — Off on the road? (3-4)

  • Definition
    The whole clue is one cryptic definition — read it laterally.
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: ''
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Cryptic definition

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20D — Mystery image possibly capturing apparition at last (6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Mystery'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'possibly'
  • Operation
    'possibly' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'image'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'capturing'
  • Operation
    'capturing' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'image apparition'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'at last'
  • Operation
    'at last' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'apparition'

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23D — Mum quietly getting hold of one schooner, maybe (4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'schooner, maybe'
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Charade
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Mum'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'quietly'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'one'

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