How do I solve 1 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

1 across reads "Break the French ram" (3-2 letters); the answer is LET-UP. 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 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

4 across reads "Tossing Crime and Punishment, not working hard" (9 letters); the answer is MERCILESS. 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 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

9 across reads "Fruit and honey seen in High Noon, eg" (4,5 letters); the answer is OGEN MELON. 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 29550?

10 across reads "Reject relish from a development stage" (5 letters); the answer is PUPAL. 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 11 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

11 across reads "Disconnected state after Jamaican music" (6 letters); the answer is ALASKA. 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 12 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

12 across reads "Butler in fiction, not quite 17, disregarding duke’s bombast" (8 letters); the answer is RHETORIC. 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 14 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

14 across reads "Puts off securing vessel or vessels" (9 letters); the answer is DECANTERS. 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 16 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

16 across reads "Non-human intelligence on transgressions against God, here?" (5 letters); the answer is SINAI. 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 17 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

17 across reads "Ancient dialect of US capital taking over Rhode Island" (5 letters); the answer is DORIC. 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 19 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

19 across reads "Declines ice cream cake" (4,5 letters); the answer is DROP SCONE. 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 29550?

21 across reads "Noble verse that’s followed by “lives matter”" (8 letters); the answer is VISCOUNT. 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 29550?

22 across reads "Stick with announcement from someone who’s 23" (6 letters); the answer is IMPALE. 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 25 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

25 across reads "Spirit that’s invalid and regularly ignored" (5 letters); the answer is NAIAD. 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 29550?

26 across reads "Fashion designer – male, unknown in Scotland – choosing to leave shop" (5,4 letters); the answer is JIMMY CHOO. 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 27 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

27 across reads "Unimportant artist entering base" (9 letters); the answer is IGNORABLE. 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 28 across in Times Cryptic 29550?

28 across reads "Beau Bridges acted — and yet ..." (5 letters); the answer is DANDY. 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 1 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

1 down reads "Renaissance man playing odd arcane violin" (8,2,5 letters); the answer is LEONARDO DA VINCI. 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 2 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

2 down reads "Opponents of US with American motif" (5 letters); the answer is THEMA. 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 3 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

3 down reads "Supply large amount of blood for Halloween staple" (7 letters); the answer is PUMPKIN. 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 29550?

4 down reads "Hybrid shoe" (4 letters); the answer is MULE. 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 5 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

5 down reads "Weak creature, he’s to what extent to be in charge?" (3,3,4 letters); the answer is RUN THE SHOW. 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 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

6 down reads "Goad that is pressing fairly soft part of elephant briefly" (7 letters); the answer is IMPETUS. 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 7 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

7 down reads "Best opera wants you observing each part’s body language" (9 letters); the answer is ESPERANTO. 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 29550?

8 down reads "Receive me, mostly exercising ability to forget inconvenient things" (9,6 letters); the answer is SELECTIVE MEMORY. 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 13 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

13 down reads "Dull radio presenter on outside broadcast where promotion will be missed" (4-3,3 letters); the answer is DEAD-END JOB. 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 15 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

15 down reads "Irish can’t reform Catholic?" (9 letters); the answer is CHRISTIAN. 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 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

18 down reads "Dish of food left on the counter" (7 letters); the answer is CHOWDER. 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 20 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

20 down reads "Maybe Pet Sounds’ first poster includes Mike Love predominantly, yes?" (7 letters); the answer is SAMOYED. 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 29550?

23 down reads "Grey arsenic in that case, unopened" (5 letters); the answer is ASHEN. 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 24 down in Times Cryptic 29550?

24 down reads "Nancy’s friend Oliver perhaps avoiding leader" (4 letters); the answer is AMIE. 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.

Times Cryptic 29550 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Break the French ram (3-2) — LET-UP

Definition
Definition found: 'Break'
Wordplay
Wordplay: Charade
Synonym
Synonyms spotted: 'the French' → LE
Synonym
Synonyms spotted: 'ram' → TUP
Assembly
LE + TUP = LET-UP

Across

1A — Break the French ram (3-2) — LET-UP

4A — Tossing Crime and Punishment, not working hard (9) — MERCILESS

9A — Fruit and honey seen in High Noon, eg (4,5) — OGEN MELON

10A — Reject relish from a development stage (5) — PUPAL

11A — Disconnected state after Jamaican music (6) — ALASKA

12A — Butler in fiction, not quite 17, disregarding duke’s bombast (8) — RHETORIC

14A — Puts off securing vessel or vessels (9) — DECANTERS

16A — Non-human intelligence on transgressions against God, here? (5) — SINAI

17A — Ancient dialect of US capital taking over Rhode Island (5) — DORIC

19A — Declines ice cream cake (4,5) — DROP SCONE

21A — Noble verse that’s followed by “lives matter” (8) — VISCOUNT

22A — Stick with announcement from someone who’s 23 (6) — IMPALE

25A — Spirit that’s invalid and regularly ignored (5) — NAIAD

26A — Fashion designer – male, unknown in Scotland – choosing to leave shop (5,4) — JIMMY CHOO

27A — Unimportant artist entering base (9) — IGNORABLE

28A — Beau Bridges acted — and yet ... (5) — DANDY

Down

1D — Renaissance man playing odd arcane violin (8,2,5) — LEONARDO DA VINCI

2D — Opponents of US with American motif (5) — THEMA

3D — Supply large amount of blood for Halloween staple (7) — PUMPKIN

4D — Hybrid shoe (4) — MULE

5D — Weak creature, he’s to what extent to be in charge? (3,3,4) — RUN THE SHOW

6D — Goad that is pressing fairly soft part of elephant briefly (7) — IMPETUS

7D — Best opera wants you observing each part’s body language (9) — ESPERANTO

8D — Receive me, mostly exercising ability to forget inconvenient things (9,6) — SELECTIVE MEMORY

13D — Dull radio presenter on outside broadcast where promotion will be missed (4-3,3) — DEAD-END JOB

15D — Irish can’t reform Catholic? (9) — CHRISTIAN

18D — Dish of food left on the counter (7) — CHOWDER

20D — Maybe Pet Sounds’ first poster includes Mike Love predominantly, yes? (7) — SAMOYED

23D — Grey arsenic in that case, unopened (5) — ASHEN

24D — Nancy’s friend Oliver perhaps avoiding leader (4) — AMIE