How do I solve 1 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

1 across reads "Rather poor physician taking on nothing concerning" (8 letters); the answer is MEDIOCRE. 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 5 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

5 across reads "Politician within reason banning European students here?" (6 letters); the answer is CAMPUS. 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 9 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

9 across reads "Boundary cryptically predicted" (8 letters); the answer is FORETOLD. 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 10 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

10 across reads "Trace liberator after one’s been freed" (6 letters); the answer is SAVOUR. 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 12 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

12 across reads "Short and torrid novel, one by Dickens" (6,6 letters); the answer is LITTLE DORRIT. 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 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

15 across reads "Leaving a note, admitting being in debt" (5 letters); the answer is OWING. 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 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

16 across reads "Old US rosé, sadly lacking in bouquet" (9 letters); the answer is ODOURLESS. 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 Times Cryptic 29548?

18 across reads "Conjectures or inferences primarily filling papers?" (9 letters); the answer is THEORISES. 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 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

19 across reads "Chopped garlic?" (5 letters); the answer is CLOVE. 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 20 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

20 across reads "How person might get bigger council house?" (12 letters); the answer is BODYBUILDING. 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 24 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

24 across reads "More than one bank deposit opened by Tesla?" (6 letters); the answer is LEVEES. 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 29548?

25 across reads "Term used regularly by offensive patriot" (4,4 letters); the answer is TRUE BLUE. 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 Times Cryptic 29548?

26 across reads "One checking returning officer’s in legal position" (6 letters); the answer is ONSIDE. 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 27 across in Times Cryptic 29548?

27 across reads "Charming Mediterranean island bar with American backing" (8 letters); the answer is ADORABLE. 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 1 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

1 down reads "Miss cake that’s evidently unfashionable" (4 letters); the answer is MUFF. 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 2 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

2 down reads "Jazz up feature of blouse?" (4 letters); the answer is DART. 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 3 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

3 down reads "Set off in pursuit of Oxford University boat" (9 letters); the answer is OUTRIGGER. 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 4 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

4 down reads "Ménage à trois potentially upset hotel in Paris" (12 letters); the answer is RELATIONSHIP. 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 6 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

6 down reads "Mission to Malaysia tipping hosts" (5 letters); the answer is ALAMO. 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 7 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

7 down reads "Renovated pier covered by new port or landlord?" (10 letters); the answer is PROPRIETOR. 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 8 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

8 down reads "Actor casually dropping ecstasy during random dance" (10 letters); the answer is STRATHSPEY. 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 11 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

11 down reads "Conservative entering lodge with socialist thought again" (12 letters); the answer is RECONSIDERED. 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 13 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

13 down reads "Mushroom left ring after ring after ring" (10 letters); the answer is PORTOBELLO. 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 29548?

14 down reads "Trumpeter is mild, save when on a bender" (5,5 letters); the answer is MILES DAVIS. 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 29548?

17 down reads "One entertaining soldiers on table putting down uniform" (9 letters); the answer is RACONTEUR. 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 21 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

21 down reads "Staple two books together?" (5 letters); the answer is BREAD. 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 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

22 down reads "Odd selection in call up by the Barbarians?" (4 letters); the answer is CLUB. 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 23 down in Times Cryptic 29548?

23 down reads "Part of glacier yet to climb" (4 letters); the answer is NEVE. 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.

Times Cryptic 29548 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Rather poor physician taking on nothing concerning (8) — MEDIOCRE

Definition
Definition found: 'Rather poor'
Indicator
Indicator found: 'physician'
Operation
'physician' signals a container operation
Fodder
Fodder: 'nothing'
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'physician' → MEDIC
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'nothing' → O
Abbreviation
Abbreviations spotted: 'concerning' → RE
Assembly
(MEDIC + O > MEDI(O)C) + RE = MEDIOCRE

Across

1A — Rather poor physician taking on nothing concerning (8) — MEDIOCRE

5A — Politician within reason banning European students here? (6) — CAMPUS

9A — Boundary cryptically predicted (8) — FORETOLD

10A — Trace liberator after one’s been freed (6) — SAVOUR

12A — Short and torrid novel, one by Dickens (6,6) — LITTLE DORRIT

15A — Leaving a note, admitting being in debt (5) — OWING

16A — Old US rosé, sadly lacking in bouquet (9) — ODOURLESS

18A — Conjectures or inferences primarily filling papers? (9) — THEORISES

19A — Chopped garlic? (5) — CLOVE

20A — How person might get bigger council house? (12) — BODYBUILDING

24A — More than one bank deposit opened by Tesla? (6) — LEVEES

25A — Term used regularly by offensive patriot (4,4) — TRUE BLUE

26A — One checking returning officer’s in legal position (6) — ONSIDE

27A — Charming Mediterranean island bar with American backing (8) — ADORABLE

Down

1D — Miss cake that’s evidently unfashionable (4) — MUFF

2D — Jazz up feature of blouse? (4) — DART

3D — Set off in pursuit of Oxford University boat (9) — OUTRIGGER

4D — Ménage à trois potentially upset hotel in Paris (12) — RELATIONSHIP

6D — Mission to Malaysia tipping hosts (5) — ALAMO

7D — Renovated pier covered by new port or landlord? (10) — PROPRIETOR

8D — Actor casually dropping ecstasy during random dance (10) — STRATHSPEY

11D — Conservative entering lodge with socialist thought again (12) — RECONSIDERED

13D — Mushroom left ring after ring after ring (10) — PORTOBELLO

14D — Trumpeter is mild, save when on a bender (5,5) — MILES DAVIS

17D — One entertaining soldiers on table putting down uniform (9) — RACONTEUR

21D — Staple two books together? (5) — BREAD

22D — Odd selection in call up by the Barbarians? (4) — CLUB

23D — Part of glacier yet to climb (4) — NEVE