Decryptic #24 - 21st July 2026
Solution & wordplay explained · Published 21 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
1M
O
2T
H
3E
R
4E
A
5R
T
6H
7V
E
A
A
S
A
E
A
8A
P
P
A
R
A
T
9W
A
X
E
N
N
I
T
O
M
A
10W
O
R
S
H
I
P
P
I
N
G
11C
H
L
O
O
I
12S
H
13A
R
K
S
K
I
N
L
L
T
R
L
E
14O
N
C
L
15O
U
16D
N
17I
N
E
R
U
O
H
L
A
18R
U
M
B
A
19Z
O
O
M
I
N
G
A
E
T
E
T
A
U
P
20D
R
E
S
S
C
I
R
C
L
E
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Across
1 Across Disturbed, Homer threat conjures the planet personified (6,5) → MOTHER EARTH Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “Homer threat”.
8 Across Some of cap parathas kept for the state machinery (7) → APPARAT Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “cap parathas”.
9 Across Pallid: wax finish and a printer's spacing unit (5) → WAXEN Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 3 and 2 letters long.
10 Across Hippo wrings wildly while paying devout homage (11) → WORSHIPPING Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “Hippo wrings”.
12 Across Tough fabric made from a sea predator's skin (9) → SHARKSKIN Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 5 and 4 letters long.
14 Across Ecstatic, losing a letter from being on cloudy nine (2,5,4) → ON CLOUD NINE Deletion
Remove 1 letter from the middle of a longer word.
18 Across Really Unusual Music Brings Applause, initially - a lively Cuban dance (5) → RUMBA Initialism
Take the first letter of each: Really, Unusual, Music, Brings, Applause.
19 Across Speeding along, or adjusting a camera lens (7) → ZOOMING Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
20 Across Theatre's premium seating tier, or a fashionable social set (5,6) → DRESS CIRCLE Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
Down
1 Down Strange, I whalemen occupy the meantime (9) → MEANWHILE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “I whalemen”.
2 Down Animal hidden in meta pirate scheme (5) → TAPIR Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “meta pirate”.
3 Down Listening organ plus ordinal ending gives our planet (5) → EARTH Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 3 and 2 letters long.
4 Down Telepathy holding directions blocks legal claim (5) → ESTOP Container
Put a 2-letter run inside a 3-letter word.
5 Down Draw milkweed hides unpasteurized dairy product (3,4) → RAW MILK Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “draw milkweed”.
6 Down Curse brings endless agony, yielding six-sided figure (7) → HEXAGON Deletion
Remove 1 letter from the end of a longer word.
7 Down Very Adventurous Navigator, initially, drives small delivery vehicle (3) → VAN Initialism
Take the first letter of each: Very, Adventurous, Navigator.
11 Down Mountain pass joins sports association for fellow worker (9) → COLLEAGUE Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 3 and 6 letters long.
12 Down Assaulted violently, or raged furiously (7) → STORMED Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
13 Down Curved like a bow, describing a curate turned awkward (7) → ARCUATE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “a curate”.
15 Down Some of voodoo zest leaks out slowly (5) → OOZES Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “voodoo zest”.
16 Down Garment worn by South Asian men: 500, heated, then one (5) → DHOTI Charade
Join three pieces end to end, 1, 3 and 1 letters long.
17 Down Cilia disturbed, relating to the hip bone (5) → ILIAC Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “CILIA”.
18 Down Golf average, returned, is sharp criticism (3) → RAP Reversal
Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “R”.