Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman

Latest answer — August 19, 2026

6 Down

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

BELDAM means an old woman. BEAM, a smile, contains LD, the abbreviations for Liberal and Democrat: BE(LD)AM.

Clue type:
Definition
An elderly woman smiling in portrait view.

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, August 19, 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. 1Secretary left State conference
  2. 9Med city canal I've restored
  3. 10Counterfeit piece leaving in the direction of EU nation
  4. 11Todd lugs around a product of mine
  5. 12Starve in the morning? Seafood sandwiches!
  6. 13Hurry up mum, run both taps – that's an order!
  7. 15Additional matter to absorb student
  8. 16Where to have a cuppa after exercising Great Dane
  9. 21Lover boy's painful back
  10. 22Little 'un born and bred in Wensleydale?
  11. 24Annual back in library in good time
  12. 25Football: Ancelotti fields brave attacker
  13. 27Large former prisoner pinches international wordbook
  14. 28One collapsed beneath the stalls in Covent Garden?
  15. 29Friendly agreement between ten teams holds

Down

  1. 2Charming party bar served up beer bottles
  2. 3Most furious, Regina rudely discharged servant
  3. 4Shock from rubbing plates?
  4. 5Turn up gas ring, that'll help to set the pudding
  5. 6Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman
  6. 7Get ace group of singers on the radio
  7. 8Madcap Tchaikovsky pens something that shows he's human
  8. 11I start to get excited after report of you getting introduced to Joe Strummer
  9. 14Organ stop fed by electronic pulse
  10. 17Defeatist, for example, punching local person
  11. 18Upright piano in Laos got damaged
  12. 19Son knocked up tailless fish and shellfish
  13. 20Starts to dredge English river south of tight bend
  14. 23Diocese observed a bit of back and forth
  15. 26Test ground eggs first in laboratory

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Secretary left State conference — Answer: PALAVER. Hint: It’s a lengthy, possibly pointless discussion or conference. 💬
  2. 9. Med city canal I've restored — Answer: VALENCIA. Hint: This Spanish city is famous for paella, oranges, and futuristic architecture. 🇪🇸
  3. 10. Counterfeit piece leaving in the direction of EU nation — Answer: FORGERY. Hint: A fake artwork or document is this illicit creation. 🕵️
  4. 11. Todd lugs around a product of mine — Answer: GOLDDUST. Hint: Think of a miner’s glittering, powdery treasure. ✨
  5. 12. Starve in the morning? Seafood sandwiches! — Answer: FAMISH. Hint: This means to go without food, despite the tasty-sounding surface. 🍽️
  6. 13. Hurry up mum, run both taps – that's an order! — Answer: QUICKMARCH. Hint: A brisk military command telling everyone to move smartly. 🥁
  7. 15. Additional matter to absorb student — Answer: PLUS. Hint: This means added to or extra, and is also a familiar mathematical symbol. ➕
  8. 16. Where to have a cuppa after exercising Great Dane — Answer: TEAGARDEN. Hint: Picture a leafy spot for post-workout tea. 🍵
  9. 21. Lover boy's painful back — Answer: EROS. Hint: Greek mythology’s mischievous god of love fits this clue. 💘
  10. 22. Little 'un born and bred in Wensleydale? — Answer: CHEESEMITE. Hint: A tiny Wensleydale native would make this cheesy nickname. 🧀
  11. 24. Annual back in library in good time — Answer: YEARLY. Hint: Something happening once every twelve months is described this way. 📅
  12. 25. Football: Ancelotti fields brave attacker — Answer: LANCELOT. Hint: Think of the legendary knight who served King Arthur and loved Guinevere. ⚔️
  13. 27. Large former prisoner pinches international wordbook — Answer: LEXICON. Hint: A dictionary or vocabulary, especially of a language or subject, is this. 📖
  14. 28. One collapsed beneath the stalls in Covent Garden? — Answer: OPERAHAT. Hint: This fanciful Covent Garden casualty is both theatrical and wearable. 🎩
  15. 29. Friendly agreement between ten teams holds — Answer: ENTENTE. Hint: A cordial understanding or pact between parties is this. 🤝

Down

  1. 2. Charming party bar served up beer bottles — Answer: ADORABLE. Hint: Something irresistibly cute or charming earns this description. 😊
  2. 3. Most furious, Regina rudely discharged servant — Answer: ANGRIEST. Hint: The person feeling the greatest fury is described this way. 😡
  3. 4. Shock from rubbing plates? — Answer: EARTHQUAKE. Hint: This natural shock occurs when tectonic plates shift. 🌍
  4. 5. Turn up gas ring, that'll help to set the pudding — Answer: SAGO. Hint: These tiny starchy pearls can help thicken a pudding. 🍮
  5. 6. Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman — Answer: BELDAM. Hint: An old woman, especially in a literary or old-fashioned setting, may be called this. 👵
  6. 7. Get ace group of singers on the radio — Answer: ACQUIRE. Hint: Think of a verb meaning to obtain, with the clue combining a top grade and a vocal ensemble. 🎶
  7. 8. Madcap Tchaikovsky pens something that shows he's human — Answer: CAPTCHA. Hint: This is the web test designed to distinguish people from automated scripts. 🤖
  8. 11. I start to get excited after report of you getting introduced to Joe Strummer — Answer: GUITARIST. Hint: Picture the rock musician wielding a six-string instrument. 🎸
  9. 14. Organ stop fed by electronic pulse — Answer: KIDNEYBEAN. Hint: Think of the red legume whose curved shape resembles something anatomical. 🫘
  10. 17. Defeatist, for example, punching local person — Answer: NEGATIVE. Hint: A defeatist outlook tends to be gloomy, pessimistic, and unwilling to expect success. 🌧️
  11. 18. Upright piano in Laos got damaged — Answer: GOALPOST. Hint: Imagine the upright marker at either end of a soccer pitch. ⚽
  12. 19. Son knocked up tailless fish and shellfish — Answer: SCALLOP. Hint: This is the ridged shellfish often served seared or in seafood dishes. 🐚
  13. 20. Starts to dredge English river south of tight bend — Answer: MEANDER. Hint: Think of a winding route that twists rather than going straight. 🌀
  14. 23. Diocese observed a bit of back and forth — Answer: SEESAW. Hint: It describes a repeated up-and-down motion, like a playground ride. 🎠
  15. 26. Test ground eggs first in laboratory — Answer: OVAL. Hint: The shape of a hen’s egg is the key visual cue here. 🥚

The answer to “Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman” in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword is BELDAM — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 19, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 6-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.

“Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman” answer

BELDAM (6 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 BELDAM.

What does BELDAM mean?

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

(noun)

  • an old woman

When else has “Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman” 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 19, 2026 (most recent) → BELDAM. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman”?

The answer is BELDAM, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman”?

6 letters: BELDAM.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 19, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 6-Down.

Can “Smile when receiving Liberal Democrat old woman” 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 19, 2026 is on the Telegraph Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Crossword Clues

Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.