Decryptic #18 - 15th July 2026
Solution & wordplay explained · Published 15 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
1D
I
2C
E
3D
4O
V
E
R
5D
U
6B
O
O
O
A
U
E
7R
A
W
M
8A
T
9E
R
I
A
L
R
N
L
A
R
L
10S
H
I
F
T
L
E
S
S
L
Y
F
H
D
R
X
T
I
11E
T
A
12O
R
A
T
E
13T
A
G
L
D
N
R
R
H
T
14E
N
D
O
D
O
N
T
I
S
T
E
X
E
E
T
A
15R
I
P
S
N
O
R
T
I
N
G
16L
E
O
M
E
A
17D
I
S
H
O
U
T
18E
N
D
O
W
Advertisement
Across
1 Across Cut into cubes: note when frozen (5) → DICED Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 1 and 4 letters long.
4 Across Superimpose sound above a knight's title (7) → OVERDUB Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 3 letters long.
7 Across Basic substance from broken marital ware (3,8) → RAW MATERIAL Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “marital ware”.
10 Across Lazily, fleshly sits rearranged (11) → SHIFTLESSLY Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “fleshly sits”.
11 Across Greek letter, initially earned through adversity (3) → ETA Initialism
Take the first letter of each: earned, through, adversity.
12 Across Alternatively consumed to speak publicly (5) → ORATE Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 2 and 3 letters long.
13 Across Label: tonne of silver (3) → TAG Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 1 and 2 letters long.
14 Across Root canal specialist from a rearranged dinted snoot (11) → ENDODONTIST Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “dinted snoot”.
15 Across Terrific spring intro scrambled (11) → RIPSNORTING Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “spring intro”.
17 Across Distribute, hidden in brandish outright (4,3) → DISH OUT Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “brandish outright”.
18 Across Fund - owned, broken (5) → ENDOW Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “owned”.
Down
1 Down Female deer sounds like something to knead (3) → DOE Homophone
The answer sounds like “dough”.
2 Down Bullfight when Ricardo gets muddled (7) → CORRIDA Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “Ricardo”.
3 Down Oppressed note: possess, walked into a lair (11) → DOWNTRODDEN Charade
Join four pieces end to end, 1, 3, 4 and 3 letters long.
5 Down Milk farm from diary, mixed up (5) → DAIRY Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “diary”.
6 Down Corrida - rearranged full bight (9) → BULLFIGHT Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “full bight”.
8 Down Cocktail from an relaxed arrangement (9) → ALEXANDER Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “an relaxed”.
9 Down Zone covering New York: compass point before eagle, musical note, and me (7,4) → EASTERN TIME Charade
Join four pieces end to end, 4, 3, 2 and 2 letters long.
10 Down Protected, as the elders muddled through (9) → SHELTERED Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “the elders”.
13 Down Sorted by urgency - diet rag oddly reworked (7) → TRIAGED Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “diet rag”.
14 Down Exhibitions: primarily, each xenial photo opportunity shines (5) → EXPOS Initialism
Take the first letter of each: each, xenial, photo, opportunity, shines.
16 Down Rule: left expressing woe (3) → LAW Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 1 and 2 letters long.