Had the lead

Latest answer — August 26, 2026

29 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

STARRED is the past-tense verb meaning had the leading role in a play, film, or television show.

Clue type:
Word form
An actor being filmed in a prominent role.

Thomas Joseph Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, August 26, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Steam
  2. 7Historic times
  3. 11“Lawrence of Arabia” actor
  4. 12Make over
  5. 13Begin to occur to
  6. 14Ticket remnant
  7. 15Auto unlocker, of a sort
  8. 17Hangs low
  9. 20Bumbling
  10. 23Calamity
  11. 24Less gentle
  12. 26Trickery
  13. 27Have debts
  14. 28Mamie’s mate
  15. 29Had the lead
  16. 31Simple denials
  17. 32Fast runners
  18. 33March time
  19. 34Greek letters
  20. 37Factual
  21. 39Anger
  22. 43Dune makeup
  23. 44Black Sea port
  24. 45Pop’s Warhol
  25. 46Prepare

Down

  1. 1Mercury or Mars
  2. 2Greek letter
  3. 3Highway rescue
  4. 4Abbey group
  5. 5Lotion additive
  6. 6Turn down
  7. 7Hot crimes
  8. 8Support
  9. 9Part of college email addresses
  10. 10Cry loudly
  11. 16Dismissed
  12. 17Letter flourish
  13. 18Blood line
  14. 19Circulate
  15. 21Tea variety
  16. 22Lock of hair
  17. 24Neigh sayer
  18. 25Really impress
  19. 30Fix
  20. 33Key
  21. 35Sailor’s quaff
  22. 36Staff member
  23. 37Screening org.
  24. 38Operated
  25. 40Slalom section
  26. 41Employ
  27. 42Light touch

The answer to “Had the lead” in the Thomas Joseph crossword is STARRED — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Thomas Joseph crossword on August 26, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 29-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.

“Had the lead” answer

STARRED (7 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 STARRED.

What does STARRED mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of a film, play, or other show) have (someone) as a principal performer
  • decorate or cover with star-shaped marks or objects

When else has “Had the lead” appeared?

Thomas Joseph 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 26, 2026 (most recent) → STARRED. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Had the lead”?

The answer is STARRED, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Thomas Joseph crossword on August 26, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Had the lead”?

7 letters: STARRED.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Thomas Joseph crossword on August 26, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 29-Across.

Can “Had the lead” have a different answer?

Yes — Thomas Joseph 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 Thomas Joseph answers?

The full grid for August 26, 2026 is on the Thomas Joseph answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Thomas Joseph Crossword is published by King Features Syndicate; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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