Picnic or penalty? (4)

Latest answer — July 31, 2026

12 Down

A space you might share at a picnic, or defend in a game 😄

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Guardian Quick Crossword

This clue's Friday, July 31, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1Common in a specific area (7)
  2. 8Read it as a rebuke (4,3)
  3. 9Number 13 (for some) (7)
  4. 10Go where one's not welcome (7)
  5. 11Entertaining place outdoors? (5)
  6. 13Elevated position of church music? (5,4)
  7. 15Section of text (9)
  8. 18Complete change in policy (1-4)
  9. 21Sports shoe (7)
  10. 22Minor role (3,4)
  11. 23London football club - or New York hotel? (7)
  12. 24Dish decoration (7)

Down

  1. 1Provide (5)
  2. 2Vermeer's hometown (5)
  3. 3Tiny living thing (5-8)
  4. 4Sound of distress (6)
  5. 5Mercenary individual (7-6)
  6. 6Mozambique's capital (6)
  7. 7_Positively 4th __ ___, 1965 Bob Dylan song (6)
  8. 12Picnic or penalty? (4)
  9. 14Fantastic figure? (4)
  10. 15Uprising (6)
  11. 16Bookish individual (6)
  12. 17In-car safety feature (6)
  13. 19Taste of miso (5)
  14. 20V-shaped cut (5)

The answer to “Picnic or penalty? (4)” in the The Guardian Quick crossword is AREA — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on July 31, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 12-Down. 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.

“Picnic or penalty? (4)” answer

AREA (4 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 AREA.

Why the answer is AREA

A space you might share at a picnic, or defend in a game 😄

What does AREA mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of AREA is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a region or part of a town, a country, or the world
  • the extent or measurement of a surface or piece of land
  • a subject or range of activity or interest

When else has “Picnic or penalty? (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.

July 31, 2026 (most recent) → AREA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Picnic or penalty? (4)”?

The answer is AREA, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on July 31, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Picnic or penalty? (4)”?

4 letters: AREA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Guardian Quick crossword on July 31, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 12-Down.

Can “Picnic or penalty? (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 July 31, 2026 is on the Guardian Quick answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Guardian Quick Crossword is published by The Guardian; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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