Decryptic #2 - 29th June 2026
Solution & wordplay explained · Published 29 June 2026
The solved grid and a clue-by-clue explanation of every piece of wordplay in this Decryptic daily. It's a past puzzle, and the archive lets you play older crosswords. Today's crossword is always free to play.
The solved grid
1C
2P
3R
4O
5G
6E
7M
8D
9I
10P
H
11R
O
P
E
12T
A
13P
E
R
S
14E
15M
O
T
E
16C
H
R
O
M
E
S
17S
A
F
E
R
18H
E
L
L
O
T
19S
K
I
A
20O
R
I
E
N
T
21M
E
T
E
S
22R
I
N
D
S
23T
24E
R
A
25T
I
C
26T
27H
Y
N
28B
29A
30L
E
S
31S
C
R
A
P
32V
I
L
E
S
T
A
33A
T
E
34U
35L
E
A
S
E
36F
37A
T
E
S
38S
39K
I
P
P
E
R
40E
L
I
D
E
41E
I
T
H
E
R
42O
T
T
O
T
43D
R
Y
44D
A
H
45Y
O
N
S
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Across
2 Across Advocate hidden in top role (3) → PRO Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “top role”.
5 Across Precious stone from meg, oddly set (3) → GEM Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “meg”.
8 Across Plunge - drip loses its resistance (3) → DIP Deletion
Remove 1 letter from the middle of a longer word.
11 Across Cord from pore, broken apart (4) → ROPE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “pore”.
12 Across Gets narrower as prates go wild (6) → TAPERS Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “prates”.
14 Across Act dramatically - musical note before a speck of dust (5) → EMOTE Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 1 and 4 letters long.
16 Across Mrs Echo arranged metallic finishes (7) → CHROMES Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “Mrs Echo”.
17 Across More secure - fears rearranged (5) → SAFER Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “fears”.
18 Across Greeting from hell enriched with oxygen (5) → HELLO Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 1 letters long.
19 Across Glide on snow, lurking in whisking movement (3) → SKI Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “whisking”.
20 Across Guide east - norite broken up (6) → ORIENT Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “norite”.
21 Across Hands out reworked teems (5) → METES Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “teems”.
22 Across Peels from grinds, losing its head (5) → RINDS Deletion
Remove 1 letter from the start of a longer word.
24 Across Age - going back, are we not? (3) → ERA Reversal
Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “E”.
25 Across Nervous twitch in attic (3) → TIC Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “attic”.
26 Across Your portion hiding in worthy collection (3) → THY Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “worthy”.
28 Across Bundles - sable rearranged (5) → BALES Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “sable”.
31 Across Fight - carps go wild (5) → SCRAP Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “carps”.
32 Across Most foul lurking in civil estimation (6) → VILEST Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “civil estimation”.
33 Across Consumed - eta turned around (3) → ATE Reversal
Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “A”.
35 Across Rent - easel rearranged (5) → LEASE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “easel”.
36 Across Destinies of feast, broken apart (5) → FATES Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “feast”.
38 Across Captain will skip per arrangement (7) → SKIPPER Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 3 letters long.
40 Across Omit - edile scrambled (5) → ELIDE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “edile”.
41 Across One or the other found in neither option (6) → EITHER Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “neither”.
42 Across Fragrant oil hidden in motto (4) → OTTO Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “motto”.
43 Across Arid, as found in laundry (3) → DRY Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “laundry”.
44 Across Morse code dash - had reversed (3) → DAH Reversal
Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “D”.
45 Across That, over there, found in anyone (3) → YON Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “anyone”.
Down
1 Down Bishops and knights - chess men united (8) → CHESSMEN Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 5 and 3 letters long.
2 Down Earning power from profit combined with ability (13) → PROFITABILITY Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 6 and 7 letters long.
3 Down By heart - tore apart (4) → ROTE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “tore”.
4 Down A poser arranged musical dramas (6) → OPERAS Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “a poser”.
6 Down Of the ether - heretic oddly rearranged (7) → ETHERIC Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “heretic”.
7 Down Game fish - clay mineral, in the mix (6) → MARLIN Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 2 letters long.
8 Down Protest march - modern station rearranged (13) → DEMONSTRATION Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “modern station”.
9 Down Anger found in fire engine (3) → IRE Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “fire engine”.
10 Down Hushing sound found in tips stolen (4) → PSST Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “tips stolen”.
13 Down Propelled with a stick - loped about (5) → POLED Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “loped”.
15 Down Creator found in dressmaker's collection (5) → MAKER Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “dressmaker's”.
16 Down Church singer - richest or muddled (9) → CHORISTER Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “richest or”.
23 Down Arranges text - type combined with sets (8) → TYPESETS Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 4 letters long.
25 Down Mosaic tile - seaters rearranged (7) → TESSERA Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “seaters”.
27 Down Detested - death scrambled (5) → HATED Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “death”.
29 Down First Hebrew letter in sale photographs (5) → ALEPH Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “sale photographs”.
30 Down Jumped about when bell pealed (6) → LEAPED Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “pealed”.
31 Down Security found in unsafe type of zone (6) → SAFETY Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “unsafe type”.
34 Down Employed - dues mixed up (4) → USED Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “dues”.
37 Down Low voice hidden in halt occasionally (4) → ALTO Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “halt occasionally”.
39 Down Aperitif found in silk irony (3) → KIR Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “silk irony”.