Crime book to need protective covering

Latest answer — August 13, 2026

7 Down

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Clue explained

BLACKMAIL is a crime. BLACK is supplied by the “book” association—especially a black book—and MAIL is a protective covering, as in chain mail; the clue’s wording makes the charade deliberately indirect.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
Interlinked metal chain mail used as protective armor.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 13, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1French chef screws up having left out desserts
  2. 7Ill-mannered individual’s curt sign of contempt
  3. 9Detested suit Charlie leaves packed away
  4. 10Delivery at last bearing winemaker’s must
  5. 11Wanting weapon? Bow’s safe
  6. 12Countryman in street every so often killed maquis
  7. 13Attending Conference maybe leader’s initial form drops
  8. 15Travelling underground primarily, one arriving in High Barnet?
  9. 17Alan Shearer missing an odd practice session
  10. 19Indian freezing, without scrap of clothing
  11. 20Where archaeologist would study Carthage is at uni possibly
  12. 22Collection of letters ended with John swapping vowels
  13. 24Thin as Oliver on screen?
  14. 25Ruined relations essentially fixed by international talks
  15. 27Root for Nigerian PM making comeback
  16. 28Trump presented cryptically coarse

Down

  1. 1Take care, shed leaks close to door
  2. 2Stadium regularly painted rear stands
  3. 3Brown rat mainly eaten by animal in caravan?
  4. 4Counter-agents stationed in revolutionary state
  5. 5In Winnebago, do things one long awaited
  6. 6Designer pen catalogue
  7. 7Crime book to need protective covering
  8. 8Yet to be paid, striking
  9. 11Property use wrecked part of building
  10. 14Articles bloke picked up touring Brussels institution
  11. 16Bare region no longer covered by crop?
  12. 18Who might conduct tests when perhaps on QE2?
  13. 19Understudy, on reflection, pans upcoming film
  14. 21Something rolled in gold by émigré, it’s said?
  15. 23Sound check that might terminate rally
  16. 26National setter?

The answer to “Crime book to need protective covering” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is BLACKMAIL — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 13, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 7-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.

“Crime book to need protective covering” answer

BLACKMAIL (9 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 BLACKMAIL.

What does BLACKMAIL mean?

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

(noun)

  • the action, treated as a criminal offence, of demanding payment or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them

When else has “Crime book to need protective covering” 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 13, 2026 (most recent) → BLACKMAIL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Crime book to need protective covering”?

The answer is BLACKMAIL, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 13, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Crime book to need protective covering”?

9 letters: BLACKMAIL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 13, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 7-Down.

Can “Crime book to need protective covering” 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 13, 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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