Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)

Latest answer — August 17, 2026

13 Across

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Clue decoded

To TAKE THE LEAD is to go first or assume the foremost position. The secondary wording is a jokey cryptic reading: someone might illegally strip lead, a traditional roofing material, from a roof.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
Strips of lead flashing on an old roof

Guardian Quick Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 17, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Adrenal, sebaceous etc (6)
  2. 4Part of footwear, often protective (6)
  3. 9Young Italian child (7)
  4. 10Butterfly or punctuation mark (5)
  5. 11Spanish coastal city (5)
  6. 12Weekly 5k event (7)
  7. 13Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)
  8. 18Formicary - all thin (anag) (7)
  9. 20Web portal - Swift brute (5)
  10. 22First world war plane, Sopwith ___ (5)
  11. 23Where beans often found (2,5)
  12. 24Deny connection with (6)
  13. 25West wind - old Ford (6)

Down

  1. 1Return (2,4)
  2. 2Intended - lined up in direction of target (5)
  3. 3Lemon ___ cake - light rain (7)
  4. 5Happen (5)
  5. 6Lake District county (7)
  6. 7Tiger, Dublin Bay and Atlantic (6)
  7. 8Complete a vertical, circular turn (4,3,4)
  8. 14Greek goddess - moon-exploration programme (7)
  9. 15Baby's set of clothing (7)
  10. 16Spoiled, sour (as with fats or oils) (6)
  11. 17Medic (6)
  12. 19Relative by marriage (2-3)
  13. 21Ledger, row or cliff? (5)

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Adrenal, sebaceous etc (6) — Answer: GLANDS. Hint: These body structures include hormone-producing adrenals and oil-making sebaceous examples 🧬
  2. 4. Part of footwear, often protective (6) — Answer: TOECAP. Hint: This reinforced footwear section shields the front of the foot 👟
  3. 9. Young Italian child (7) — Answer: BAMBINO. Hint: Think of the Italian word you might use for a little boy or girl. 👶
  4. 10. Butterfly or punctuation mark (5) — Answer: COMMA. Hint: This tiny punctuation mark also shares its name with a delicate winged insect 🦋
  5. 11. Spanish coastal city (5) — Answer: CADIZ. Hint: Look to southern Spain for this historic port on the Atlantic coast 🌊
  6. 12. Weekly 5k event (7) — Answer: PARKRUN. Hint: It’s the free, timed weekend five-kilometre outing held in parks worldwide 🏃
  7. 13. Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4) — Answer: TAKETHELEAD. Hint: To do this is to move ahead of everyone else or assume control 🥇
  8. 18. Formicary - all thin (anag) (7) — Answer: ANTHILL. Hint: Think of the mound where a busy colony makes its home 🐜
  9. 20. Web portal - Swift brute (5) — Answer: YAHOO. Hint: It names both an internet destination and an uncivilised person 💻
  10. 22. First world war plane, Sopwith ___ (5) — Answer: CAMEL. Hint: Pair this World War I aircraft with the desert animal famous for its hump. 🐪
  11. 23. Where beans often found (2,5) — Answer: ONTOAST. Hint: Breakfast beans are classically served this way 🍞
  12. 24. Deny connection with (6) — Answer: DISOWN. Hint: To do this is to reject someone as family or refuse any association 🚫
  13. 25. West wind - old Ford (6) — Answer: ZEPHYR. Hint: In mythology, this gentle breeze blows from the west, and it also names a vintage Ford 🌬️

Down

  1. 1. Return (2,4) — Answer: GOBACK. Hint: A simple instruction to return to an earlier place or state ↩️
  2. 2. Intended - lined up in direction of target (5) — Answer: AIMED. Hint: This describes something directed precisely toward its target 🎯
  3. 3. Lemon ___ cake - light rain (7) — Answer: DRIZZLE. Hint: The cake variety shares its name with a light, fine rain 🍋
  4. 5. Happen (5) — Answer: OCCUR. Hint: Use this verb when an event takes place 📅
  5. 6. Lake District county (7) — Answer: CUMBRIA. Hint: This scenic county includes much of the Lake District 🏞️
  6. 7. Tiger, Dublin Bay and Atlantic (6) — Answer: PRAWNS. Hint: These crustaceans come in varieties named after big cats, Irish waters, and oceans 🍤
  7. 8. Complete a vertical, circular turn (4,3,4) — Answer: LOOPTHELOOP. Hint: On a fairground ride or in an aircraft, this means completing a full circular circuit 🎢
  8. 14. Greek goddess - moon-exploration programme (7) — Answer: ARTEMIS. Hint: This name belongs both to an ancient deity and a modern lunar mission 🌙
  9. 15. Baby's set of clothing (7) — Answer: LAYETTE. Hint: Think of a complete little wardrobe prepared for a newborn 👶
  10. 16. Spoiled, sour (as with fats or oils) (6) — Answer: RANCID. Hint: This describes butter or oil that has gone unpleasantly bad 🧈
  11. 17. Medic (6) — Answer: DOCTOR. Hint: Look for the everyday title of a qualified medical practitioner 🩺
  12. 19. Relative by marriage (2-3) — Answer: INLAW. Hint: This family connection comes through a wedding rather than birth 💍
  13. 21. Ledger, row or cliff? (5) — Answer: HEATH. Hint: A famous actor and a rugged moorland landscape point to the same word 🌿

Recent Guardian Quick Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)” in the The Guardian Quick crossword is TAKETHELEAD — a 11-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 17, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 13-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)” answer

TAKETHELEAD (11 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is TAKETHELEAD.

When else has “Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)” appeared?

The Guardian Quick reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 17, 2026 (most recent) → TAKETHELEAD. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the Guardian Quick Crossword on August 17, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full The Guardian Quick answer list for August 17, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live Guardian Quick answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the Guardian Quick Crossword

The Guardian Quick Crossword is a British straight-definition daily (typically around 13×13) — no cryptic wordplay, just clean definitions and abbreviations. This page covers a Monday puzzle. Because answers favour common UK vocabulary and short fill, seeing a confirmation once makes the next appearance easy to spot.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)”?

The answer is TAKETHELEAD, a 11-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 17, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)”?

11 letters: TAKETHELEAD.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 17, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 13-Across.

Can “Go first - strip roof illegally (4,3,4)” have a different answer?

Yes — The Guardian Quick sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Guardian Quick answers?

The full grid for August 17, 2026 is on the Guardian Quick answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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