King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out

Latest answer — August 31, 2026

1 Down

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Clue explained

EBBS means ‘goes out’ or diminishes. BB is B.B. King, the ‘King of the Blues’, enclosed by E and S, the rival compass positions at a table: E-BB-S.

Clue type:
Definition
B.B. King performing with his guitar

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 31, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1It’s ending for good, I state after session with old flame
  2. 9Fight about commercial that’s boring
  3. 10Better keeping spades and joker
  4. 11I’ll recount Scottish island returns with Conservative falling short
  5. 12Austrian psychiatrist — note his ego
  6. 13Sin City reversing direction, rejecting pleasures of flesh?
  7. 14Tears perhaps when children have to turn off TV?
  8. 16Inclined to lift a clue? No sir, I’ll go for revision
  9. 17Attempt to tackle addiction to amphetamine wraps
  10. 18Extremists in Iraq accommodated by sanction over veil
  11. 20Taking a gander and goose in van and skewering
  12. 23Leaders of seditious territorial army disgracefully don’t await orders
  13. 24I don’t believe article on America is true to begin with
  14. 25Instrument’s role for one of the Pacemakers?

Down

  1. 1King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out
  2. 2A far larger squat made into home for prominent metropolitan columnist
  3. 3Reshuffle back rank
  4. 4Bay home to rent
  5. 5Soldier dropped in suitable American kit
  6. 6Victor’s wife concealed secret
  7. 7Like all-seater stadium, nevertheless
  8. 8Pro-establishment, old right party controlling House with support of Times
  9. 13Elves in legends ultimately transformed despicable character
  10. 14Throw left instead of right?
  11. 15Unusually chic broadcaster’s going outside and leaves for lunch?
  12. 19Sign of rank, rotten egg served up — it’s unfinished
  13. 21Totters back, losing footing, after one followed by another one
  14. 22Shock Brazil et al after making a comeback

The answer to “King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is EBBS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 31, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 1-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.

“King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out” answer

EBBS (4 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 EBBS.

What does EBBS mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of tidewater) move away from the land; recede
  • (of an emotion or quality) gradually decrease

When else has “King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out” 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 31, 2026 (most recent) → EBBS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out”?

The answer is EBBS, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 31, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out”?

4 letters: EBBS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 31, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 1-Down.

Can “King of the Blues, beset by rivals at table, goes out” 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 31, 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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