How do I solve 1 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

1 across reads "Spill drops on small dish" (8 letters); the answer is SPLATTER. 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 Times Cryptic 29538?

6 across reads "Exactly what remains when husband and wife leave show?" (4,2 letters); the answer is JUST SO. 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 9 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

9 across reads "Powerless committee members dog can bite badly" (6,7 letters); the answer is SHADOW CABINET. 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 10 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

10 across reads "Frightened people may get this bit of teasing" (4-2 letters); the answer is WIND-UP. 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 11 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

11 across reads "Small area with gardens, bare white with patches of colour" (8 letters); the answer is SKEWBALD. 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 Times Cryptic 29538?

13 across reads "Coin, reverse impressed with large stamp" (5,5 letters); the answer is PENNY BLACK. 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 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

15 across reads "Irrational and ridiculous, scrapping a book" (4 letters); the answer is SURD. 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 16 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

16 across reads "Eat out and so on at hotel" (4 letters); the answer is ETCH. 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 18 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

18 across reads "Policeman about to go into inner working of old scientist" (10 letters); the answer is COPERNICAS. 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 21 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

21 across reads "Picture biscuits straight from the oven?" (8 letters); the answer is SNAPSHOT. 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 Times Cryptic 29538?

22 across reads "Mostly drunk portrait painter is alone" (6 letters); the answer is SOLELY. 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 23 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

23 across reads "Ugly deodorant sprayed in amicable manner" (4-9 letters); the answer is GOOD-NATUREDLY. 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 Times Cryptic 29538?

25 across reads "Creator of Big Brother’s fully behind men" (6 letters); the answer is ORWELL. 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 26 across in Times Cryptic 29538?

26 across reads "Quietly snobby about Yankee resembling young boxer?" (8 letters); the answer is PUPPYISH. 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 2 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

2 down reads "Old hat worn by one very reluctant to get involved" (7 letters); the answer is PASSIVE. 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 3 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

3 down reads "In shop ordered to follow a group safety directive" (7,4 letters); the answer is ABANDON SHIP. 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 Times Cryptic 29538?

4 down reads "Not very good time to put up several patrols" (5 letters); the answer is TROOP. 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 5 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

5 down reads "Transport old phones (not black) and have half disconnected" (7 letters); the answer is RICKSHA. 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 6 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

6 down reads "Perhaps one unemployed comedian keeps bees for a change" (9 letters); the answer is JOBSEEKER. 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 7 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

7 down reads "Object of pagan worship endlessly hymned" (3 letters); the answer is SUN. 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 8 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

8 down reads "Immigrant in centre of village I must welcome" (7 letters); the answer is SETTLER. 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 12 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

12 down reads "Tours having time off now as airline grounded over a year" (8,3 letters); the answer is BASTILLE DAY. 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 14 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

14 down reads "Drunken reveller returned to speak, obsessively controlling" (9 letters); the answer is BACCHANAL. 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 Times Cryptic 29538?

17 down reads "Adolescent drops seed, husked, for a songbird" (7 letters); the answer is TANAGER. 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 19 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

19 down reads "Worst and best places to break journey" (3,4 letters); the answer is PIT STOP. 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 Times Cryptic 29538?

20 down reads "Narrow lanes keeping European extremely vigilant" (3,4 letters); the answer is ALL EYES. 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 22 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

22 down reads "Picked up sections for binder" (5 letters); the answer is STRAP. 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 24 down in Times Cryptic 29538?

24 down reads "I’m surprised, when told, to be in debt" (3 letters); the answer is OWE. 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.

Times Cryptic 29538 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Spill drops on small dish (8) — SPLATTER

Definition
Definition found: 'Spill drops'
Wordplay
Wordplay: Charade
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'small' → S
Assembly
S + PLATTER = SPLATTER

Across

1A — Spill drops on small dish (8) — SPLATTER

6A — Exactly what remains when husband and wife leave show? (4,2) — JUST SO

9A — Powerless committee members dog can bite badly (6,7) — SHADOW CABINET

10A — Frightened people may get this bit of teasing (4-2) — WIND-UP

11A — Small area with gardens, bare white with patches of colour (8) — SKEWBALD

13A — Coin, reverse impressed with large stamp (5,5) — PENNY BLACK

15A — Irrational and ridiculous, scrapping a book (4) — SURD

16A — Eat out and so on at hotel (4) — ETCH

18A — Policeman about to go into inner working of old scientist (10) — COPERNICAS

21A — Picture biscuits straight from the oven? (8) — SNAPSHOT

22A — Mostly drunk portrait painter is alone (6) — SOLELY

23A — Ugly deodorant sprayed in amicable manner (4-9) — GOOD-NATUREDLY

25A — Creator of Big Brother’s fully behind men (6) — ORWELL

26A — Quietly snobby about Yankee resembling young boxer? (8) — PUPPYISH

Down

2D — Old hat worn by one very reluctant to get involved (7) — PASSIVE

3D — In shop ordered to follow a group safety directive (7,4) — ABANDON SHIP

4D — Not very good time to put up several patrols (5) — TROOP

5D — Transport old phones (not black) and have half disconnected (7) — RICKSHA

6D — Perhaps one unemployed comedian keeps bees for a change (9) — JOBSEEKER

7D — Object of pagan worship endlessly hymned (3) — SUN

8D — Immigrant in centre of village I must welcome (7) — SETTLER

12D — Tours having time off now as airline grounded over a year (8,3) — BASTILLE DAY

14D — Drunken reveller returned to speak, obsessively controlling (9) — BACCHANAL

17D — Adolescent drops seed, husked, for a songbird (7) — TANAGER

19D — Worst and best places to break journey (3,4) — PIT STOP

20D — Narrow lanes keeping European extremely vigilant (3,4) — ALL EYES

22D — Picked up sections for binder (5) — STRAP

24D — I’m surprised, when told, to be in debt (3) — OWE