Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive

Latest answer — September 11, 2026

18 Down

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Clue explained

STONEME is read as “stone me!”, an exclamation equivalent to “man alive!”. It is formed by putting ONE into S + TME, where S is the initial letter of “sinking” and TME consists of the odd-positioned letters of “timber”: S + T(ONE)ME.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
A comic-style speech bubble showing a forceful exclamation.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Friday, September 11, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Channel head left light entertainment programme
  2. 9Popular gorge full of litter
  3. 10Practising engineers keen to sue when titanium’s not used
  4. 11New self-test laboratory’s closing, being responsible for infections
  5. 12Player I should have said sorry to’s head twisted
  6. 13Beard on Patrick’s face ginger yet dark
  7. 14Spooner’s broken racket in this?
  8. 16What she has put on card fades
  9. 18Plastic can isn’t made of tin
  10. 20Word during service that must be repeated back
  11. 22Shopping sounded more revolting every second for hikers
  12. 23Pressure that is in loo breaks pump, perhaps display model
  13. 24Mature Trollope somewhat like earlier works
  14. 25Doctor drew iron shot, putting it straighter

Down

  1. 1Stress having the narrowest of leads
  2. 2Pound taken from account replaced by current statement
  3. 3Member I criticise for work as parliamentarian
  4. 4Woman with habit takes ecstasy instead of upping painkiller
  5. 5Broadcast by Adele held up on secure line
  6. 6Kosher joint of lamb maybe just the thing
  7. 7Doctor who flew over a mile received guard on landing
  8. 8Dusty tray quiet old man fills again when empty
  9. 15Alarming figure conflated soccer with war
  10. 16The reason to admit one’s singular fantasy?
  11. 17Federal agents infiltrating assigned section
  12. 18Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive
  13. 19Blind cat has penetrated airport’s controlled area
  14. 21Raised border mainly contains plant with colourful flowers

The answer to “Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is STONEME — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 11, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 18-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.

“Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive” answer

STONEME (7 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 STONEME.

When else has “Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive” 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.

September 11, 2026 (most recent) → STONEME. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive”?

The answer is STONEME, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 11, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive”?

7 letters: STONEME.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 11, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 18-Down.

Can “Odd bits of timber after sinking initially keep one man alive” 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 September 11, 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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