Times Cryptic #29489

2026-03-13

Solve on Times →

Across

1a

Skirt with narrow opening ignored by a model (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

MINI (skirt) + (with) APERTURE (narrow opening) – (ignored by) PER (a)

6a

Christian celebration rejected by American state (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

MASS (Christian celebration) reversed (rejected) next to (by) A (American)

9a

Devil retreats with feeling of disgust in possession (7)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Soup lid covering nothingyou might snap at this! (5,2)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

PHỞ (soup) TOP (lid) around (covering) O (nothing)

11a

Take action against publication erasing lives (3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

ISSUE (publication) – (erasing) IS (lives)

12a

Peel off tape to cook sweet treat (6-5)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Fish tongue ultimately lacking strong ingredient (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

GAR (fish) LICK (tongue) minus last letter (ultimately lacking)

15a

Unopened finest china keeping current value (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

BEST (finest) minus first letter (unopened) + MATE (china) around (keeping) I (current)

17a

Perhaps Sun King regularly stripped hearts bare (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

STAR (perhaps sun) K (king) + every other letter in (regularly stripped) HEARTS

19a

Fail to justify force’s conviction (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

BELIE (fail to justify) F (force)

22a

Editor taking back tasteless, ignorant curse (3,3,5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

ED (editor) around reversal of (taking back) NAFF (tasteless) + BLIND (ignorant) I knew NAFF but hadn’t quite heard of this expression, though it sure sounded like something naughty.

23a

Cover for priest arrested by Special Branch (3)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Free time visiting Wild Bill (7)

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27a

Eye copies of Zulu retaining a stylish energy (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

P.I. (eye) ZZZZ (copies of Zulu) around (retaining) A

28a

Thin and weak, like Oliver at the cinema? (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

REED-Y A reference to Oliver Reed, whom I did not know, but whose existence I could surmise.

29a

Female inside criminal court is clean (9)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Leader with magic touch, misunderstood at first, is winning promotion after promotion (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

M{isunderstood} (at first) + IS around (winning) AD (promotion) reversed (after promotion)

2d

Like weapons of mass destruction: in doubt once UN turns up (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

UNCLEAR (in doubt) with UN reversed (once … turns up)

3d

Fearful article covering strain between west and east (3-8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

AN (article) around RICK (strain) in (between) WEST and E (east)

4d

Dangerous and nefarious leaving Rio in chaos (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

NEFARIOUS – (leaving) RIO anagrammed (in chaos)

5d

Unnatural ability originally rattled providers of Fuel drink (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

ESP (unnatural ability) + first letter of (originally) RATTLED + ESSO (providers of fuel)

6d

Previously advanced onto Monopoly square (3)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Australian mangetout of the moment quietly added into main (4,3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

NOW (of the moment) P (quietly) in (added into) SEA (main)

8d

Drake maybe covering page upon page in Canadian flag (5,4)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

MALE (drake maybe) around (covering) P (page) + (upon) LEAF (page)

13d

Everyday media, unusually, bother enlightening school? (1,4,1,5)

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14d

Bible reader’s acceptable idea about exorcism? (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Inverted winger ran and took the ball forward? (8)

flowerflowerflower
18d

A very loud Mediterranean island turned warm (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

A FF (very loud) + ELBA (Mediterranean island) reversed (turned)

20d

How friend may introduce herself in Islamic territory (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

“I’M A MATE” (how friend may introduce herself)

21d

Big beasts in position (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Business class initially ejected French composer (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

BIZ (business) + SET (class) minus first letter (initially ejected)

26d

Charles who performed in Shaft (3)

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