Decryptic

Decryptic #36 - 2nd August 2026

Solution & wordplay explained · Published 2 August 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

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Across

1 Across Stirred hut swab becomes a laundry basin (7) → WASHTUB Anagram Rearrange the letters of “hut swab”.
5 Across Flat-topped hills hidden in become sassy remark (5) → MESAS Hidden word The answer is hidden inside “become sassy”.
8 Across Enclosure attendant becomes a rail worker (7) → YARDMAN Charade Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 3 letters long.
9 Across Photocopy or duplicate (5) → XEROX Double definition Look for two different meanings of the same word.
10 Across Stadium recalled from an era (5) → ARENA Reversal Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “A”.
11 Across Cry urging a horse on, once giddying up loses its middle (7) → GIDDYUP Deletion Remove 3 letters from the middle of a longer word.
12 Across Animation frame made when cartoons employ layers, initially (3) → CEL Initialism Take the first letter of each: Cartoons, Employ, Layers.
13 Across Unsuitable, even clumsy (5) → INAPT Double definition Look for two different meanings of the same word.
15 Across Sound of pigeon heard in disco often (3) → COO Hidden word The answer is hidden inside “disco often”.
16 Across Singers, oddly, quit their posts (7) → RESIGNS Anagram Rearrange the letters of “singers”.
19 Across Forearm bones found in consul naevi report (5) → ULNAE Hidden word The answer is hidden inside “consul naevi”.
20 Across One, in Celsius, texting affection online, coldly (5) → ICILY Charade Join three pieces end to end, 1, 1 and 3 letters long.
21 Across Old flames surrounding a mystic guide lapse (7) → EXPIRES Container Put a 3-letter run inside a 4-letter word.
23 Across A wandering ronin's night, turned back, gives a compass point (5) → NORTH Reversal Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “N”.
24 Across Pleasing, without its ending, will content (7) → SATISFY Deletion Remove 3 letters from the end of a longer word.

Down

1 Down For what reason did wild horses yield, initially? (3) → WHY Initialism Take the first letter of each: Wild, Horses, Yield.
2 Down Dreamlike, we hear, like being sure real (7) → SURREAL Homophone The answer sounds like “sure real”.
3 Down Kettledrums arranged from main tip (7) → TIMPANI Anagram Rearrange the letters of “main tip”.
4 Down Mountain peak hidden in cab entry (3) → BEN Hidden word The answer is hidden inside “cab entry”.
5 Down A dime and a kiss, jumbled, could be blended (5) → MIXED Anagram Rearrange the letters of “dime x”.
6 Down Wildly, a satyr may roam (5) → STRAY Anagram Rearrange the letters of “satyr”.
7 Down Horn, nothing, and a call together make a wind instrument (9) → SAXOPHONE Charade Join three pieces end to end, 3, 1 and 5 letters long.
10 Down Alternating current, rope, and charged particle form a squeeze-box (9) → ACCORDION Charade Join three pieces end to end, 2, 4 and 3 letters long.
11 Down Tangs mixed up become biting insects (5) → GNATS Anagram Rearrange the letters of “tangs”.
14 Down Winning card followed by an alien makes for quite a boast (7) → TRUMPET Charade Join two pieces end to end, 5 and 2 letters long.
15 Down Cartons broken open reveal guerrilla fighters (7) → CONTRAS Anagram Rearrange the letters of “cartons”.
17 Down Slope enthusiast lurking in a whiskier drink (5) → SKIER Hidden word The answer is hidden inside “whiskier”.
18 Down Symbol, or computer icon (5) → GLYPH Double definition Look for two different meanings of the same word.
21 Down Printer's spacing units excite monkeys, squealing initially (3) → EMS Initialism Take the first letter of each: Excite, Monkeys, Squealing.
22 Down Crafty, in a sneaky way (3) → SLY Double definition Look for two different meanings of the same word.