Bird entering school is a bit of a pain

Latest answer — August 22, 2026

20 Down

Think of a small, sharp pain—or a single loop of thread. 🪡

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Saturday, August 22, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Each article is penned by idiotic fool
  2. 5Writer’s means of conveying part of her writing
  3. 9Gradually decrease source of light
  4. 10One helper carries most of building material — overlapping like tiles
  5. 12Unwelcome feeling, having risen to great heights?
  6. 13King confused and showing signs of age?
  7. 14Excitable soldiers chat endlessly, backing an agent encountered retreating
  8. 17Steward’s office surprisingly unsophisticated, needing time and energy to be spent
  9. 21Possibly cold current associated with three lochs
  10. 23University student finally penning grand stories, most foul
  11. 24Home and dry, wanderer having got inside perhaps a loner?
  12. 25Area of land not entirely unattractive
  13. 26Church service has lost two final elements, however
  14. 27Journey finishes off at lovely church altarpiece?

Down

  1. 1Test for car drivers repeatedly exposed reason to act
  2. 2Tackle a quiet matter — getting a rodent caught
  3. 3Is male pursuing the female’s love an act of gallantry?
  4. 4Disuse opiates for treating fatty lumps?
  5. 6Beautiful female song with death coming up
  6. 7Shout, getting neighbour ultimately in quarrel
  7. 8Daily, set out in dependable manner
  8. 11After ban on profit, watch someone looking for good deal
  9. 15Generous guest and host with no end of charm somewhere in Ireland
  10. 16Indicate new element in one sort of table
  11. 18Wild animals, many buried under old church
  12. 19Climber’s goal? Hard work involving bad track initially
  13. 20Bird entering school is a bit of a pain
  14. 22River left with organic compound, river being destroyed

The answer to “Bird entering school is a bit of a pain” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is STITCH — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 22, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 20-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.

“Bird entering school is a bit of a pain” answer

STITCH (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 STITCH.

Why the answer is STITCH

Think of a small, sharp pain—or a single loop of thread. 🪡

What does STITCH mean?

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

(noun)

  • a loop of thread or yarn resulting from a single pass or movement of the needle in sewing, knitting, or crocheting
  • a sudden sharp pain in the side of the body, caused by strenuous exercise

When else has “Bird entering school is a bit of a pain” 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 22, 2026 (most recent) → STITCH. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Bird entering school is a bit of a pain”?

The answer is STITCH, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 22, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Bird entering school is a bit of a pain”?

6 letters: STITCH.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 22, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 20-Down.

Can “Bird entering school is a bit of a pain” 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 22, 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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