How do I solve 1 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

1 across reads "Amendment to peace talks comes off" (5,5 letters); the answer is TAKESPLACE. 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 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

8 across reads "Widen out thoroughfare cutting through Scottish mountain" (7 letters); the answer is BROADEN. 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 3297?

9 across reads "Big range of Italian desserts" (5 letters); the answer is ANDES. 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 10 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

10 across reads "I’m leaving, primarily to avoid those annoyances" (2-2 letters); the answer is TATA. 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 11 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

11 across reads "Doctor taking aim at overturning long-standing feud" (8 letters); the answer is VENDETTA. 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 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

13 across reads "Embarrassing public spectacle witnessed in an auditorium" (5 letters); the answer is SCENE. 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.

How do I solve 14 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

14 across reads "Key worker in theatres, running around" (5 letters); the answer is NURSE. 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 16 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

16 across reads "Current minister is spot on" (8 letters); the answer is ACCURATE. 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 3297?

17 across reads "Unknown number covered by terrible group of musicians" (4 letters); the answer is BAND. 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 20 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

20 across reads "Join last bit of swimming in pool" (5 letters); the answer is MERGE. 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 21 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

21 across reads "Lots here fighting outside university" (7 letters); the answer is AUCTION. 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 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

22 across reads "Relative from America entertained by energetic dancing" (5-5 letters); the answer is GREATNIECE. 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 1 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

1 down reads "Land close to Egypt? Yeah, right!" (5 letters); the answer is TIBET. 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 2 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

2 down reads "What tennis umpires should do to be well-informed?" (4,3,5 letters); the answer is KNOWTHESCORE. 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 3 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

3 down reads "Team expressed despair audibly" (4 letters); the answer is SIDE. 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.

How do I solve 4 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

4 down reads "Type of support embedded in Artificial Intelligence" (6 letters); the answer is LINTEL. 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 5 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

5 down reads "Grip seals put on building panels" (8 letters); the answer is CLADDING. 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 6 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

6 down reads "Concocted adroit lies, ie to introduce bias into reporting" (12 letters); the answer is EDITORIALISE. 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 3297?

7 down reads "Steer clear of outer edges of enormous headland" (6 letters); the answer is ESCAPE. 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 12 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

12 down reads "The art without frame must be reproduced, I agree" (4,4 letters); the answer is HEARHEAR. 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 13 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

13 down reads "Sycophantic sergeant-major leading troops" (6 letters); the answer is SMARMY. 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 3297?

15 down reads "A fruity pastry’s upside-down layers" (6 letters); the answer is STRATA. 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 18 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

18 down reads "At first, does anyone neatly catch every ball?" (5 letters); the answer is DANCE. 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 down in Times Cryptic 3297?

19 down reads "Revered figure in crown periodically" (4 letters); the answer is ICON. 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.

Times Cryptic 3297 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Amendment to peace talks comes off (5,5) — TAKESPLACE

Definition
Definition found: 'comes off'
Indicator
Indicator found: 'Amendment to'
Operation
'Amendment to' signals a anagram operation
Fodder
Fodder: 'peace talks'
Assembly
PEACETALKS = TAKESPLACE

Across

1A — Amendment to peace talks comes off (5,5) — TAKESPLACE

8A — Widen out thoroughfare cutting through Scottish mountain (7) — BROADEN

9A — Big range of Italian desserts (5) — ANDES

10A — I’m leaving, primarily to avoid those annoyances (2-2) — TATA

11A — Doctor taking aim at overturning long-standing feud (8) — VENDETTA

13A — Embarrassing public spectacle witnessed in an auditorium (5) — SCENE

14A — Key worker in theatres, running around (5) — NURSE

16A — Current minister is spot on (8) — ACCURATE

17A — Unknown number covered by terrible group of musicians (4) — BAND

20A — Join last bit of swimming in pool (5) — MERGE

21A — Lots here fighting outside university (7) — AUCTION

22A — Relative from America entertained by energetic dancing (5-5) — GREATNIECE

Down

1D — Land close to Egypt? Yeah, right! (5) — TIBET

2D — What tennis umpires should do to be well-informed? (4,3,5) — KNOWTHESCORE

3D — Team expressed despair audibly (4) — SIDE

4D — Type of support embedded in Artificial Intelligence (6) — LINTEL

5D — Grip seals put on building panels (8) — CLADDING

6D — Concocted adroit lies, ie to introduce bias into reporting (12) — EDITORIALISE

7D — Steer clear of outer edges of enormous headland (6) — ESCAPE

12D — The art without frame must be reproduced, I agree (4,4) — HEARHEAR

13D — Sycophantic sergeant-major leading troops (6) — SMARMY

15D — A fruity pastry’s upside-down layers (6) — STRATA

18D — At first, does anyone neatly catch every ball? (5) — DANCE

19D — Revered figure in crown periodically (4) — ICON