Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much

Latest answer — August 07, 2026

9 Across

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Clue decoded

BOYCOTT is “refuse to take part”. BOY means a lad, C is the third letter, and OTT means “too much” or over the top; “touches” joins these parts.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A concise word-part diagram showing BOY, C and OTT combining into BOYCOTT.

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 07, 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. 1Sort of bank job Barry bored me about?
  2. 8Vehicle's over cloud moving miles to the west
  3. 9Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much
  4. 11Bakery offering fundamental opinion to Spooner
  5. 12Loose Women is appealing
  6. 13Relaxes with guys dropping lead
  7. 14Ultimately most Pride parades will follow large musical floats
  8. 16Transform poodle with CGI to be German Shepherd?
  9. 19Sweetener found in sauces on the counter
  10. 21To do with figures UN rejected, America discovered
  11. 23Mark Noble mishit? No and it should be ignored
  12. 24Truth about representing Italy
  13. 25Gran assumes plug on Tesla for example is one from Vegas?
  14. 26Ours eat and drink in resort – it's far from a favourite

Down

  1. 1Cancels entertaining adult books?
  2. 2In seconds I'm told about acid rain spoiling Isuzu bonnets
  3. 3Detective signalled and drove away
  4. 4Old games console docked with steer-control component?
  5. 5Fitting type of burglar alarm, initially still working to break in
  6. 6Find native Australian solicitor
  7. 7Daring top batsman means to get drink
  8. 10Nice one – term of endearment used by darling husband in party game
  9. 15Rolling Stones and five ace bands go to perform
  10. 17Greek character holding a dance
  11. 18Having a bad trip? Is crack involved?
  12. 19Romantic ballad adored after release of disc is delayed
  13. 20Look pleased with communist revolutionary worker who's dogged
  14. 22Beastly sort of firm may stop you conclusively

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Sort of bank job Barry bored me about? — Answer: ARMEDROBBERY. Hint: Think of a financial-institution heist where the culprit comes prepared for trouble. 💰
  2. 8. Vehicle's over cloud moving miles to the west — Answer: OMNIBUS. Hint: Think of an old-fashioned vehicle designed to carry many passengers, with the wordplay sending “miles” westward. 🚌
  3. 9. Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much — Answer: BOYCOTT. Hint: Think of a protest action where you deliberately withhold your participation 🚫
  4. 11. Bakery offering fundamental opinion to Spooner — Answer: TEACAKE. Hint: A sweet bakery treat enjoyed with a cuppa may emerge after a playful Spooner-style sound swap. 🍰
  5. 12. Loose Women is appealing — Answer: WINSOME. Hint: Think of a charming, attractive quality that makes someone especially endearing. 😊
  6. 13. Relaxes with guys dropping lead — Answer: EASES. Hint: Look for a verb meaning unwinds, formed by trimming the front of a word for male friends. 🧩
  7. 14. Ultimately most Pride parades will follow large musical floats — Answer: LEVITATES. Hint: Think of what objects do when they rise and hover without support. 🎈
  8. 16. Transform poodle with CGI to be German Shepherd? — Answer: POLICEDOG. Hint: Think of a trained canine partner that helps officers sniff out trouble. 🐕
  9. 19. Sweetener found in sauces on the counter — Answer: SUGAR. Hint: This everyday pantry sweetener often hides in ketchup, barbecue sauce, and other table condiments 🍯
  10. 21. To do with figures UN rejected, America discovered — Answer: NUMERIC. Hint: It describes anything related to numbers or calculations. 🔢
  11. 23. Mark Noble mishit? No and it should be ignored — Answer: BLEMISH. Hint: Think of a small imperfection or flaw—the kind you might overlook. ✨
  12. 24. Truth about representing Italy — Answer: REALITY. Hint: Think beyond appearances: this word names what is genuinely true. 🧐
  13. 25. Gran assumes plug on Tesla for example is one from Vegas? — Answer: NEVADAN. Hint: Think of someone who calls the Silver State home. 🏜️
  14. 26. Ours eat and drink in resort – it's far from a favourite — Answer: RANKOUTSIDER. Hint: Think of a long-shot competitor who is decidedly not among the favourites. 🐎

Down

  1. 1. Cancels entertaining adult books? — Answer: ANNUALS. Hint: Think of books or magazines published once every year, perhaps with a grown-up twist. 📚
  2. 2. In seconds I'm told about acid rain spoiling Isuzu bonnets — Answer: MOBCAPS. Hint: The wording hides the answer systematically, so inspect each nearby word for the same positional pattern 🔎
  3. 3. Detective signalled and drove away — Answer: DISPELLED. Hint: Think of a sleuth sending a signal that makes something vanish. 🕵️
  4. 4. Old games console docked with steer-control component? — Answer: OXBOW. Hint: Picture a horseshoe-shaped river bend, with a playful gaming-console reference pointing the way. 🌊
  5. 5. Fitting type of burglar alarm, initially still working to break in — Answer: BAYONET. Hint: A fitting named after a blade can be built from a burglar alarm’s initial, a synonym for still, and a synonym for working. 🔧
  6. 6. Find native Australian solicitor — Answer: ROOTOUT. Hint: Look for a verb meaning “uncover” that combines a plant’s underground anchor with the opposite of “in.” 🌱
  7. 7. Daring top batsman means to get drink — Answer: BOTTLEOPENER. Hint: Think of the handy tool used to remove a drink’s cap, with a little baseball flair in the wording. 🥤
  8. 10. Nice one – term of endearment used by darling husband in party game — Answer: TREASUREHUNT. Hint: Think of a party game where affectionate words lead you on a search for hidden prizes 🗺️
  9. 15. Rolling Stones and five ace bands go to perform — Answer: VAGABONDS. Hint: Think of free-spirited wanderers who travel from place to place. 🧳
  10. 17. Greek character holding a dance — Answer: LAMBADA. Hint: Think of a spirited Brazilian dance whose name cleverly embraces a Greek-letter reference. 💃
  11. 18. Having a bad trip? Is crack involved? — Answer: CARSICK. Hint: Think of the queasy feeling some passengers get on a winding drive 🤢
  12. 19. Romantic ballad adored after release of disc is delayed — Answer: SHELVED. Hint: Think of a record release being put on hold, like a project paused indefinitely. ⏸️
  13. 20. Look pleased with communist revolutionary worker who's dogged — Answer: GRINDER. Hint: Think of a tireless worker, smiling broadly, with a nod to a revolutionary communist. 🛠️
  14. 22. Beastly sort of firm may stop you conclusively — Answer: COYPU. Hint: Think of a large, semi-aquatic South American rodent once raised for its fur. 🐀

Recent Telegraph Cryptic Answers

The last 3 days of solutions

Telegraph Cryptic 6 August 2026Telegraph Cryptic 5 August 2026Telegraph Cryptic 4 August 2026

The answer to “Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much” in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword is BOYCOTT — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 7, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 9-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.

“Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much” answer

BOYCOTT (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 BOYCOTT.

When else has “Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much” 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 7, 2026 (most recent) → BOYCOTT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword on August 7, 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 Telegraph Cryptic answer list for August 7, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live Telegraph Cryptic answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword

The Telegraph Cryptic Crossword continues the paper's daily crossword tradition that began on 30 July 1925 — the UK's first daily newspaper crossword — and the famous January 1942 Fleet Street contest that led the War Office to recruit fast solvers for Bletchley Park. Today's form is a Monday–Friday 15×15 of cryptic wordplay (anagrams, charades, double definitions and so on); weekend Prize Cryptics and the Tuesday–Friday Toughie are separate puzzles. This page covers a Friday puzzle. Setters are usually anonymous. Confirming one long cryptic answer often opens several crossings in that corner.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much”?

The answer is BOYCOTT, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much”?

7 letters: BOYCOTT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 7, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 9-Across.

Can “Refuse to take part if third lad touches too much” 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 7, 2026 is on the Telegraph Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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