Decryptic #15 - 12th July 2026
Solution & wordplay explained · Published 12 July 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
1E
M
2O
T
3I
O
4N
A
5L
L
6Y
7N
X
A
N
O
I
E
U
8E
A
R
9S
I
D
E
B
O
A
R
D
C
S
A
E
R
I
S
10M
I
N
I
11M
A
L
I
S
T
S
A
E
E
T
12S
13N
A
R
R
A
T
14I
O
15N
S
A
N
C
E
16P
R
17O
G
18R
E
S
S
I
V
E
19T
P
X
U
C
D
O
20H
O
L
Y
G
R
21A
I
L
22F
A
X
I
I
B
A
E
U
I
C
23P
S
Y
C
H
E
D
E
L
I
C
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Across
1 Across Touchingly, a partner shares feeling (11) → EMOTIONALLY Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 7 and 4 letters long.
8 Across Organ found in the area (3) → EAR Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “the area”.
9 Across A disrobed model reshuffled to reveal dining furniture (9) → SIDEBOARD Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “a disrobed”.
10 Across Advocates of simplicity: musical half-note with a catalogue (11) → MINIMALISTS Charade
Join three pieces end to end, 5, 1 and 5 letters long.
13 Across Telling of events: inro and a rant mixed up (9) → NARRATION Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “inro a rant”.
16 Across Forward-thinking advance featuring Roman four and east (11) → PROGRESSIVE Charade
Join three pieces end to end, 8, 2 and 1 letters long.
20 Across Halo, girly rearranged into ultimate quest (4,5) → HOLY GRAIL Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “halo girly”.
22 Across Forte with an axe - transmit a document (3) → FAX Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 1 and 2 letters long.
23 Across Hallucinogenic goddess visits delicatessen for a hundred (11) → PSYCHEDELIC Charade
Join three pieces end to end, 6, 4 and 1 letters long.
Down
1 Down Bosses found in apex ecstasy (5) → EXECS Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “apex ecstasy”.
2 Down Rower confused by a Romans translation (7) → OARSMAN Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “A ROMANS”.
3 Down More deranged when in saner company (7) → INSANER Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 2 and 5 letters long.
4 Down Approval when university fellow turns back (3) → NOD Reversal
Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “N”.
5 Down Defamation: fifty, one, and a unit of sound (5) → LIBEL Charade
Join three pieces end to end, 1, 1 and 3 letters long.
6 Down Decades for unknown listening organs (5) → YEARS Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 1 and 4 letters long.
7 Down Naturists from stud sin, shuffled (7) → NUDISTS Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “STUD SIN”.
11 Down Resources from names all mixed up (5) → MEANS Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “NAMES”.
12 Down Of Sappho's verse - sap, a Greek letter, and the speed of light (7) → SAPPHIC Charade
Join three pieces end to end, 3, 3 and 1 letters long.
14 Down Draped in ice: a cleidic egg scrambled (7) → ICICLED Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “CLEIDIC”.
15 Down Necessary to be found in kneed full stretch (7) → NEEDFUL Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “kneed full”.
17 Down Cattle show impudence for this wildflower (5) → OXLIP Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 2 and 3 letters long.
18 Down Precious stone gripping a musical note reveals the sport (5) → RUGBY Container
Put a 1-letter run inside a 4-letter word.
19 Down Nervous twitch embracing cattle turns out poisonous (5) → TOXIC Container
Put a 2-letter run inside a 3-letter word.
21 Down Openers of an ancient hymn - what an exclamation! (3) → AAH Initialism
Take the first letter of each: an, ancient, hymn.