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. Browse every past solution, or get the app to play the older crosswords yourself. 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
Across
2 Across Advocate hidden in top role (3) → PRO Hidden word
Hidden inside “top role”.
5 Across Precious stone from meg, oddly set (3) → GEM Anagram
Anagram of “meg”.
8 Across Plunge - drip loses its resistance (3) → DIP Deletion
DRIP without R from the middle.
11 Across Cord from pore, broken apart (4) → ROPE Anagram
Anagram of “pore”.
12 Across Gets narrower as prates go wild (6) → TAPERS Anagram
Anagram of “prates”.
14 Across Act dramatically - musical note before a speck of dust (5) → EMOTE Charade
E + MOTE.
16 Across Mrs Echo arranged metallic finishes (7) → CHROMES Anagram
Anagram of “Mrs Echo”.
17 Across More secure - fears rearranged (5) → SAFER Anagram
Anagram of “fears”.
18 Across Greeting from hell enriched with oxygen (5) → HELLO Charade
HELL + O.
19 Across Glide on snow, lurking in whisking movement (3) → SKI Hidden word
Hidden inside “whisking”.
20 Across Guide east - norite broken up (6) → ORIENT Anagram
Anagram of “norite”.
21 Across Hands out reworked teems (5) → METES Anagram
Anagram of “teems”.
22 Across Peels from grinds, losing its head (5) → RINDS Deletion
GRINDS without its initial G.
24 Across Age - going back, are we not? (3) → ERA Reversal
ARE reversed.
25 Across Nervous twitch in attic (3) → TIC Hidden word
Hidden inside “attic”.
26 Across Your portion hiding in worthy collection (3) → THY Hidden word
Hidden inside “worthy”.
28 Across Bundles - sable rearranged (5) → BALES Anagram
Anagram of “sable”.
31 Across Fight - carps go wild (5) → SCRAP Anagram
Anagram of “carps”.
32 Across Most foul lurking in civil estimation (6) → VILEST Hidden word
Hidden inside “civil estimation”.
33 Across Consumed - eta turned around (3) → ATE Reversal
ETA reversed.
35 Across Rent - easel rearranged (5) → LEASE Anagram
Anagram of “easel”.
36 Across Destinies of feast, broken apart (5) → FATES Anagram
Anagram of “feast”.
38 Across Captain will skip per arrangement (7) → SKIPPER Charade
SKIP + PER.
40 Across Omit - edile scrambled (5) → ELIDE Anagram
Anagram of “edile”.
41 Across One or the other found in neither option (6) → EITHER Hidden word
Hidden inside “neither”.
42 Across Fragrant oil hidden in motto (4) → OTTO Hidden word
Hidden inside “motto”.
43 Across Arid, as found in laundry (3) → DRY Hidden word
Hidden inside “laundry”.
44 Across Morse code dash - had reversed (3) → DAH Reversal
HAD reversed.
45 Across That, over there, found in anyone (3) → YON Hidden word
Hidden inside “anyone”.
Down
1 Down Bishops and knights - chess men united (8) → CHESSMEN Charade
CHESS + MEN.
2 Down Earning power from profit combined with ability (13) → PROFITABILITY Charade
PROFIT + ABILITY.
3 Down By heart - tore apart (4) → ROTE Anagram
Anagram of “tore”.
4 Down A poser arranged musical dramas (6) → OPERAS Anagram
Anagram of “a poser”.
6 Down Of the ether - heretic oddly rearranged (7) → ETHERIC Anagram
Anagram of “heretic”.
7 Down Game fish - clay mineral, in the mix (6) → MARLIN Charade
MARL + IN.
8 Down Protest march - modern station rearranged (13) → DEMONSTRATION Anagram
Anagram of “modern station”.
9 Down Anger found in fire engine (3) → IRE Hidden word
Hidden inside “fire engine”.
10 Down Hushing sound found in tips stolen (4) → PSST Hidden word
Hidden inside “tips stolen”.
13 Down Propelled with a stick - loped about (5) → POLED Anagram
Anagram of “loped”.
15 Down Creator found in dressmaker's collection (5) → MAKER Hidden word
Hidden inside “dressmaker's”.
16 Down Church singer - richest or muddled (9) → CHORISTER Anagram
Anagram of “richest or”.
23 Down Arranges text - type combined with sets (8) → TYPESETS Charade
TYPE + SETS.
25 Down Mosaic tile - seaters rearranged (7) → TESSERA Anagram
Anagram of “seaters”.
27 Down Detested - death scrambled (5) → HATED Anagram
Anagram of “death”.
29 Down First Hebrew letter in sale photographs (5) → ALEPH Hidden word
Hidden inside “sale photographs”.
30 Down Jumped about when bell pealed (6) → LEAPED Anagram
Anagram of “pealed”.
31 Down Security found in unsafe type of zone (6) → SAFETY Hidden word
Hidden inside “unsafe type”.
34 Down Employed - dues mixed up (4) → USED Anagram
Anagram of “dues”.
37 Down Low voice hidden in halt occasionally (4) → ALTO Hidden word
Hidden inside “halt occasionally”.
39 Down Aperitif found in silk irony (3) → KIR Hidden word
Hidden inside “silk irony”.
How this puzzle was checked
Every clue in this crossword was verified against its own wordplay by software, then the finished puzzle was read and edited by hand before publication: definitions, indicators, enumerations and surface readings all get looked at, and clues that don't hold up are rewritten. The editorial standards set out what that covers.
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