Keep in check boldness on horseback

Latest answer — August 21, 2026

18 Down

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Clue explained

BOTTLE UP means keep in check. BOTTLE means boldness or courage, while UP describes someone who is mounted and therefore on horseback.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
An illustration of a rider mounted on a horse.

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 21, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Back new skills to turn around SPFL club
  2. 6Initial temperature becoming cold for which songbird?
  3. 10Tea dunderhead gets early in the day
  4. 11Suggests key condiment that's fine
  5. 12Mistake in writing amount Laura rued occasionally on reflection
  6. 13Over time hide this writer's secret
  7. 14Conceited mimic, initially ignored, Harry flipping plugs
  8. 16Scottish banker with cute daughter
  9. 19Jack visits Céline in French city
  10. 21Giant firm, American, must conceal deficit
  11. 24Composer of national broadcast
  12. 25Name for cat, typically small, written by Potter
  13. 27Destroy two foreign articles belonging to me
  14. 28In agreement when lunch could be served?
  15. 29That girl's love for leading man
  16. 30Index Pete adjusted as appropriate

Down

  1. 1Theatre employee departs after agent has changed
  2. 2Person getting up from chair is erudite
  3. 3Retiring janitor shows ID attached to uniform?
  4. 4Element against removing European from capital
  5. 5Snub oddly rejected "green expert"
  6. 7Weight vanishes surprisingly when taking drug
  7. 8Book inscription
  8. 9Creature using paws to grab lemur's tail, right?
  9. 15Answer from Germany stopping one seeking to overturn Brexit?
  10. 17He's due regularly to test out something decorators use?
  11. 18Keep in check boldness on horseback
  12. 20Legal official, indiscreet after downing whiskey
  13. 22Periodically boy led round of applause for veteran
  14. 23Villains identify fences doing time
  15. 24Show embarrassment when US president pens drivel ultimately
  16. 26Mood essentially within London university is relaxed

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Back new skills to turn around SPFL club — Answer: STRANRAER. Hint: Think of a Scottish football club whose name is built from reversed wordplay. ⚽
  2. 6. Initial temperature becoming cold for which songbird? — Answer: CHAT. Hint: Look for a songbird formed by putting a temperature abbreviation before a word for headwear. 🐦
  3. 10. Tea dunderhead gets early in the day — Answer: ASSAM. Hint: A tea variety emerges when a foolish person joins the abbreviation for morning. 🍵
  4. 11. Suggests key condiment that's fine — Answer: TABLESALT. Hint: Pair a keyboard key with a common seasoning to get this pantry staple. 🧂
  5. 12. Mistake in writing amount Laura rued occasionally on reflection — Answer: ERRATUM. Hint: A writing mistake is revealed by reversing selected letters from a phrase involving Laura’s regret. 📝
  6. 13. Over time hide this writer's secret — Answer: FURTIVE. Hint: Think of a word meaning secretive, perhaps describing something kept out of sight. 🤫
  7. 14. Conceited mimic, initially ignored, Harry flipping plugs — Answer: ARROGANT. Hint: The definition is conceited, while the wordplay involves a mimic, an ignored initial, and Harry turned around. 🎭
  8. 16. Scottish banker with cute daughter — Answer: TWEED. Hint: Build a Scottish river from a synonym for cute and the standard abbreviation for daughter. 🌊
  9. 19. Jack visits Céline in French city — Answer: DIJON. Hint: Think of a French city assembled from a male name associated with Jack and a name associated with Céline. 🗺️
  10. 21. Giant firm, American, must conceal deficit — Answer: COLOSSUS. Hint: Combine a company abbreviation, a deficit, and a pronoun for an American to name a giant. 🗿
  11. 24. Composer of national broadcast — Answer: BRITTEN. Hint: Use a nationality nickname and a number to identify this composer. 🎼
  12. 25. Name for cat, typically small, written by Potter — Answer: TIDDLES. Hint: Think of a stereotypical pet-cat name, especially one suited to a tiny feline. 🐱
  13. 27. Destroy two foreign articles belonging to me — Answer: UNDERMINE. Hint: A verb meaning destroy combines two non-English articles with a possessive term. 🛠️
  14. 28. In agreement when lunch could be served? — Answer: ATONE. Hint: Read the phrase as a time of day that can also mean being in harmony. 🕐
  15. 29. That girl's love for leading man — Answer: HERO. Hint: The definition is leading man, while the wordplay pairs a feminine possessive with the usual symbol for love. 🎬
  16. 30. Index Pete adjusted as appropriate — Answer: EXPEDIENT. Hint: Seek an adjective meaning suitable, with the clue’s rearranged name providing the core idea. 🧭

Down

  1. 1. Theatre employee departs after agent has changed — Answer: STAGEHAND. Hint: An anagram of the word for an agent, plus a departure, gives this theatre worker. 🎭
  2. 2. Person getting up from chair is erudite — Answer: RISER. Hint: A person who gets up is the straightforward definition, with a possible nod to a chair lift. 🪑
  3. 3. Retiring janitor shows ID attached to uniform? — Answer: NAMETAG. Hint: Think of the label an employee wears on a uniform to identify themselves. 🏷️
  4. 4. Element against removing European from capital — Answer: ANTIMONY. Hint: An element is formed from a term meaning opposed to plus a capital sum minus its European abbreviation. ⚗️
  5. 5. Snub oddly rejected "green expert" — Answer: REBUFF. Hint: A firm refusal or pointed rejection is the result. 🛑
  6. 7. Weight vanishes surprisingly when taking drug — Answer: HEAVINESS. Hint: This describes the sensation of being burdened or weighed down. ⚖️
  7. 8. Book inscription — Answer: TITLE. Hint: Look for the identifying name printed on a book’s cover or opening page. 📚
  8. 9. Creature using paws to grab lemur's tail, right? — Answer: FERRET. Hint: Think of a small, persistent mammal known for rummaging and grabbing. 🐾
  9. 15. Answer from Germany stopping one seeking to overturn Brexit? — Answer: REJOINDER. Hint: This is a sharp reply offered in response to a previous remark. 💬
  10. 17. He's due regularly to test out something decorators use? — Answer: DUSTSHEET. Hint: Decorators may drape this protective covering over furniture while working. 🛋️
  11. 18. Keep in check boldness on horseback — Answer: BOTTLEUP. Hint: To restrain feelings or impulses is to keep them tightly contained. 🤐
  12. 20. Legal official, indiscreet after downing whiskey — Answer: NOTARY. Hint: A public official who authenticates signatures and documents fits here. 📜
  13. 22. Periodically boy led round of applause for veteran — Answer: OLDHAND. Hint: A seasoned expert with long experience is described this way. 🧓
  14. 23. Villains identify fences doing time — Answer: INSIDE. Hint: Prison slang for someone currently incarcerated points to this word. 🚔
  15. 24. Show embarrassment when US president pens drivel ultimately — Answer: BLUSH. Hint: A visible reddening of the face can reveal embarrassment. 😊
  16. 26. Mood essentially within London university is relaxed — Answer: LOOSE. Hint: Relaxed, unconfined, or not tightly fastened all point in this direction. 😌

The answer to “Keep in check boldness on horseback” in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword is BOTTLEUP — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 21, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 18-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.

“Keep in check boldness on horseback” answer

BOTTLEUP (8 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 BOTTLEUP.

When else has “Keep in check boldness on horseback” appeared?

The Telegraph Cryptic 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 21, 2026 (most recent) → BOTTLEUP. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Keep in check boldness on horseback”?

The answer is BOTTLEUP, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Keep in check boldness on horseback”?

8 letters: BOTTLEUP.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 21, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 18-Down.

Can “Keep in check boldness on horseback” have a different answer?

Yes — The Telegraph Cryptic 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 Telegraph Cryptic answers?

The full grid for August 21, 2026 is on the Telegraph Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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