4 most significant spending limits

Latest answer — August 21, 2026

18 Across

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Clue explained

EIGHTIES is the plural name for the decade 1980–1989, and the clue jokes that these are the ‘four most significant’ figures in spending-limit discussions: the eighties as a period associated with conspicuous spending. The numeral 4 signals the deliberately compressed, playful reading.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A visual scene representing fashion and consumer culture in the 1980s.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 21, 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. 1Spooner’s dish? His number two pan!
  2. 6Panellist judging illusionist with vanishing trick
  3. 9Obliquely question note in card
  4. 10Golden-brown tan covering area on sunbather’s back
  5. 11A lot of loose Australian plugs stopped working
  6. 12Stand for a revolutionary broadcast again
  7. 13Street name for Parisian housing is on return address there
  8. 14Order restricting bad egg smells in the East End
  9. 17Stick large probes down
  10. 184 most significant spending limits
  11. 21Old symbols of numeric variable
  12. 22Reflecting some in Italy?
  13. 24Can containing last drop of kiwi cordial
  14. 25Principal character in Harry Potter introduces philosopher
  15. 26Heartless twelve year cuts for respected authority
  16. 27Maybe North Pole expert’s trapped

Down

  1. 1Noisy disturbance going uphill without a muffler?
  2. 2Nanny won’t quit UK novel that’s hard to read
  3. 3Medical upset spreading alarm
  4. 4English dons fighting at university in the sixties?
  5. 5Rule out fire resistance in passage
  6. 6Jumper’s lower in the field?
  7. 7Irate spinner’s behind putting South African pitch on film
  8. 8Family congress over in New Orleans
  9. 13Wonder-workers fixed up toilet with rod
  10. 15With hour to go, media struck the right chord
  11. 16Juvenile snubbed cold platter
  12. 19Primate rebuffed important toff on retreat
  13. 20Appear with setter in triumph
  14. 23Bottle opener vexing hosts

The answer to “4 most significant spending limits” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is EIGHTIES — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 21, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 18-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.

“4 most significant spending limits” answer

EIGHTIES (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 EIGHTIES.

What does EIGHTIES mean?

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

(numeral)

  • equivalent to the product of eight and ten; ten less than ninety; 80

When else has “4 most significant spending limits” appeared?

The Times 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) → EIGHTIES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “4 most significant spending limits”?

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

How many letters is the answer to “4 most significant spending limits”?

8 letters: EIGHTIES.

When did this clue appear?

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

Can “4 most significant spending limits” have a different answer?

Yes — The Times 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 Times Cryptic answers?

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

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

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