The solved grid
1F
L
2A
I
R
3A
B
4I
L
5I
T
6Y
A
C
N
M
U
7S
U
R
M
8I
S
9E
10T
O
P
I
C
T
E
N
N
R
E
C
11O
N
S
E
T
12D
I
O
R
A
M
A
N
E
O
V
R
E
13C
A
R
T
W
H
E
E
L
14E
A
R
M
R
M
15P
E
N
N
A
M
E
16T
H
17R
O
B
I
O
C
N
E
O
R
18L
A
N
A
I
19T
I
D
E
W
A
Y
A
I
A
D
O
20F
A
C
U
L
T
Y
21M
A
Y
A
S
Across
1 Across Talent from reshuffled frail (5) → FLAIR Anagram
Anagram of “frail”.
3 Across Skill from steadiness sans state (7) → ABILITY Deletion
STABILITY without its initial ST.
7 Across Conjecture from muddled misuser (7) → SURMISE Anagram
Anagram of “misuser”.
10 Across Twitch embracing op, subject (5) → TOPIC Container
OP inside TIC.
11 Across Start when live and ready (5) → ONSET Charade
ON + SET.
12 Across Scenic display from muddled AM radio (7) → DIORAMA Anagram
Anagram of “am radio”.
13 Across Acrobatic flip found in boxcart wheeled off (9) → CARTWHEEL Hidden word
Hidden inside “boxcart wheeled”.
15 Across Pseudonym returning in foreman nepotism (3,4) → PEN NAME Hidden backwards
Hidden backwards inside “foreman nepotism”.
16 Across Great wish for photo grab, finally, pulsation (5) → THROB Initialism
Last letters of: great, wish, for, photo, grab.
18 Across Local network with artificial intelligence, covered porch (5) → LANAI Charade
LAN + AI.
19 Across Estuary, it yawed, disordered (7) → TIDEWAY Anagram
Anagram of “it yawed”.
20 Across Academic department lurking in sofa cult yearning (7) → FACULTY Hidden word
Hidden inside “sofa cult yearning”.
21 Across Possibly, while, ancient Mexicans (5) → MAYAS Charade
MAY + AS.
Down
1 Down Musical note, rock, swindle (4,3) → FAST ONE Charade
FA + STONE.
2 Down Loads, estates (5) → ACRES Double definition
Two separate definitions of the same word.
4 Down Shy after wild torrent dive (11) → INTROVERTED Anagram
Anagram of “torrent dive”.
5 Down Argon inside urge to cover with dewdrops (7) → IMPEARL Container
AR inside IMPEL.
6 Down Desert plant grown from syrup cocoa, alternately (5) → YUCCA Alternate letters
Every other letter of “syrup cocoa”, starting with the second.
8 Down Clarinet air shuffled, involving different races (11) → INTERRACIAL Anagram
Anagram of “clarinet air”.
9 Down Haywire women tend a trust fund (9) → ENDOWMENT Anagram
Anagram of “women tend”.
13 Down Standard style found in toucan on iconic poster (7) → CANONIC Hidden word
Hidden inside “toucan on iconic”.
14 Down New theorem, bryostatin trial, harbours unborn young (7) → EMBRYOS Hidden word
Hidden inside “theorem bryostatin”.
15 Down Rice dish from middles of spa, pig, elk, cat, eft (5) → PILAF Middle letters
Middle letters of: spa, pig, elk, cat, eft.
17 Down Boisterous from jumbled dowry (5) → ROWDY Anagram
Anagram of “dowry”.
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.
Spotted something wrong here? Email
badclues@decryptic.app and
this page will be corrected. See the
corrections policy.
