Times Cryptic 29568 — Prize Puzzle

Published

🏆 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 — Purveyor of indulgences settled in Tudor widow’s embrace (8)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Purveyor of indulgences'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'embrace'
  • Operation
    'embrace' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'settled Tudor widow’s'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'settled'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Tudor widow’s'

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6A — Julius Caesar — reluctant dish washer? (1-5)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'dish washer?'
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Charade
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Julius'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Caesar'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'reluctant'

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9A — Something in meadow one might trip on? (5,8)

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

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10A — No tea for army clergy in open country (6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'open country'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'No tea'
  • Operation
    'No tea' signals a deletion operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'army clergy'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'army clergy'

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11A — Edmund died with a ruptured appendix (8)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'appendix'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'ruptured'
  • Operation
    'ruptured' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Edmund died a'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'died'

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13A — Possible advice for dilatory chess player? (3,1,4,2)

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

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15A — What used to make people blue without a lot of fuss? (4)

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

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16A — Julie’s content consuming gram in fruit (4)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'fruit'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'consuming'
  • Operation
    'consuming' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Julie’s gram'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'content'
  • Operation
    'content' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Julie’s'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'gram'

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18A — 14lb chicken Gabrielle gutted for rock group (10)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'rock group'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'gutted'
  • Operation
    'gutted' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Gabrielle'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: '14lb'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'chicken'

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21A — Subversive attempts holding Henry with new suspect (8)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Subversive attempts'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'new'
  • Operation
    'new' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Henry suspect'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Henry'

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22A — Opening in harbour exposed wall (6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Opening'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'exposed'
  • Operation
    'exposed' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'wall'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'harbour'

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23A — Busy arresting King: US novelist heard in college (6,7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'college'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'arresting'
  • Operation
    'arresting' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Busy King:'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'heard'
  • Operation
    'heard' signals a homophone operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'novelist'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Busy'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'King:'

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25A — Labour politician perhaps in story broken by English paper (6)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Labour politician perhaps'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'broken'
  • Operation
    'broken' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'story English paper'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'story'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'English'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'paper'

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26A — Brash individual somehow means to pen classical number (5,3)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Brash individual'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'somehow'
  • Operation
    'somehow' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'means classical number'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'classical number'

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Down

2D — He wrote two articles with 50 in abundant supply (1,1,5)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'He wrote'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'in'
  • Operation
    'in' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: '50 abundant supply'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'two articles'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: '50'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'abundant supply'

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3D — VIPs understand stars supporting fool (11)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'VIPs'
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Charade
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'understand'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'stars'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'fool'

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4D — Recalled Charlie wearing coat and trousers (5)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'trousers'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'Recalled'
  • Operation
    'Recalled' signals a reversal operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Charlie coat'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'wearing'
  • Operation
    'wearing' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Charlie coat'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Charlie'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'coat'

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5D — Debauchee gorging on roguish man’s dish (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'man’s'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'gorging on'
  • Operation
    'gorging on' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Debauchee roguish'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Debauchee'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'roguish'

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6D — Name twice claimed by unidentified male poet (4,5)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'poet'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'twice'
  • Operation
    'twice' signals a repetition operation
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'claimed by'
  • Operation
    'claimed by' signals a container operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Name unidentified male'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Name'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'unidentified male'

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7D — Asian destination not good for climbing (3)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Asian'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'not'
  • Operation
    'not' signals a deletion operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'destination good'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'climbing'
  • Operation
    'climbing' signals a reversal operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'destination'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'destination'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'good'

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8D — Fried food, possibly upmarket, lacking in potassium (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Fried food,'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'possibly'
  • Operation
    'possibly' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'upmarket,'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'lacking in potassium'
  • Operation
    'lacking in potassium' signals a deletion operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'upmarket,'

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12D — Is indebted to sport charges? Nothing about that in 2 book (3,2,3,3)

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

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14D — Supply has to operate outside old building (4,5)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'building'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'Supply'
  • Operation
    'Supply' signals a anagram operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'has to operate old'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'operate'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'old'

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17D — Trouble afoot seemingly reduced desire for work (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'work'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'seemingly reduced'
  • Operation
    'seemingly reduced' signals a deletion operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'Trouble afoot'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Trouble afoot'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'desire'

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19D — Very large agricultural tool cutting middle of ankle bone (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'bone'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'cutting middle'
  • Operation
    'cutting middle' signals a deletion operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'agricultural tool'
  • Abbreviation
    Abbreviations spotted: 'Very large'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'agricultural tool'

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20D — Babushka topping it with a Sicilian dessert (7)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'Sicilian dessert'
  • Wordplay
    Wordplay: Charade
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'Babushka'

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22D — City district with church, without hotel (5)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'City'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'without hotel'
  • Operation
    'without hotel' signals a deletion operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'district with church,'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'district with church,'

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24D — Uncovered real meaning in boring routine (3)

  • Definition
    Definition found: 'boring routine'
  • Indicator
    Indicator found: 'Uncovered'
  • Operation
    'Uncovered' signals a letter_selection operation
  • Fodder
    Fodder: 'real meaning'
  • Synonym
    Synonyms spotted: 'real meaning'

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