Independent Cryptic #12180

2025-10-22

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Bad actor with a job runs away in Berkshire town (9)

flowerflowerflower
6a

Sit or run or do neither? (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

STAND (sit can be defined as ‘to be a candidate for’ which is similar to the second definition of ‘stand’ immediately below)

9a

A bitter crook's ceremonial hat (7)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Most loved director committed to cast Johansson at last (7)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Surprisingly anal about temperature of buttocks (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Anagram of (surprisingly) ANAL containing (about) T (temperature)

13a

Dispense with photograph (9)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Is not wearing correct waterproof (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

AIN’T (contraction of ‘is not’) contained in (wearing) RIGHT (correct)

16a

Demoralising nursing examination (4)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Reversed change in flow (4)

flowerflowerflower
19a

Haggled as pub profited (9)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Sham environmental concern used to be embraced by naive husband (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

WAS (used to be) contained in (embraced by) ( GREEN [naive] + H [husband])

24a

Fish in river caught by Ray (5)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Extravagantly celebrate extensive sex (7)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Land of river turtle quietly destroyed (7)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Bit of wind restricts European visitor (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

GUST (bit of wind) containing (restricts) E (European)

29a

Puts down extremely rare printers (9)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

We sacrifice a rook in online broadcast (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

WE + BIN (dispose of; sacrifice) + A + R (rook, in chess notation)

2d

Cocktail in Scottish church unfinished (3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

KIR k (Scottish word for church) excluding the final letter K (unfinished)

3d

Settle on unfolding folded cards (8)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Chinese flower displayed around centre of Doncaster (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

HUNG (displayed [of a picture in a gallery]) containing (around) A ( middle letter of [centre of] donc A ster)

5d

Umpire taking time; a deep thinker (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

MEDIATOR (referee; umpire) containing (taking) T (time)

6d

Southern women are on the cover (6)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Russia's codename for Trump? It's bad news for him if he's a plant! (11)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Redistributed fluid across Utah being conscientious (7)

flowerflowerflower
12d

Interrogation in PhD for some? (11)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Castrated cat with bit of rubber on communion table in place of monkeys (9)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Celebration of someone who goes on about conserving earth? (8)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Uninvited follow liberating northern Filipino (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

TAGALOG (a people of the Philippine Islands; Filipino)

20d

God to achieve less (7)

flowerflowerflower
21d

University rector stopping home creates trouble (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

U (university) + ( R [rector] contained in [stopping] NEST [home for a bird])

23d

Characters found in the middle of Whitehall flustered (5)

flowerflowerflower
27d

Scratch head of young female donkey (3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

l ASS (young female) excluding (scratch) L ( the first letter of [head of the word])