Offensive “cheers” when returning food

Latest answer — September 03, 2026

20 Across

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Clue explained

Attack means offensive action. TA (“cheers”) returned gives AT, followed by TACK, meaning food, especially unpalatable food: AT + TACK.

Clue type:
Definition
Soldiers advancing during an attack

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 03, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Playing online as no good, grasping spies hacked Gmail
  2. 9Several performing? In hindsight, slightly fewer
  3. 10School keeps toilet within another, a sluggish one
  4. 11Really poor casting or poor performance of part?
  5. 12Laid out voguish drug after drink
  6. 13Accepted both sides in Anfield wearing baseball gear?
  7. 15Youthful new lover consumed by sex
  8. 17Boundary one put up with no area inside
  9. 18Completely misguided artist wearing backless fleece jumper
  10. 20Offensive “cheers” when returning food
  11. 21A reservoir selling water
  12. 24European place, not quite wild Vienna
  13. 25Improviser initially overwhelmed by jazz chord
  14. 26Pressure troops trailing unit to strike arena

Down

  1. 1Booze worked as vocalist spun melody
  2. 2Left in African river, missionary expedition’s leaders share mass
  3. 3Set about being contrary?
  4. 4Crude American releasing small amount of rude material
  5. 5Setting for Wuthering Heights or Othello?
  6. 6Network, groove, and fool around like night owls
  7. 7Fantastic composer, calm at grand, with Salieri getting upset
  8. 8Potential danger hospital is boring nurse
  9. 14Picture best supporting actor, half-cut
  10. 16Duke feeding Henry egg prepared with needles
  11. 17Animal sounds reported to cook
  12. 19Late public music performance completely out of time
  13. 22Wrong item to go round rabbi’s head?
  14. 23Fibrous part taken from scampi, thankfully

The answer to “Offensive “cheers” when returning food” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is ATTACK — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 3, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 20-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.

“Offensive “cheers” when returning food” answer

ATTACK (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 ATTACK.

What does ATTACK mean?

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

(verb)

  • take aggressive military action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force
  • criticize or oppose fiercely and publicly
  • begin to deal with (a problem or task) in a determined and vigorous way

When else has “Offensive “cheers” when returning food” 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 3, 2026 (most recent) → ATTACK. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Offensive “cheers” when returning food”?

The answer is ATTACK, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 3, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Offensive “cheers” when returning food”?

6 letters: ATTACK.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 3, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 20-Across.

Can “Offensive “cheers” when returning food” 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 3, 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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