Old woman hot in desert run

Latest answer — August 24, 2026

22 Across

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Clue explained

MARATHON is a run, specifically the long-distance race suggested by the clue’s desert setting. The wording also hides MA, an old woman, and H, the abbreviation for hot, producing a playful cryptic description rather than a strict full charade.

Clue type:
Example
Runners taking part in a marathon across a dry desert landscape.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 24, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Ruined health on diet eating duck dish
  2. 8Backed augury one found in movie?
  3. 9Cécile is dancing with Mr D?
  4. 10One attacking a crew member reported
  5. 11Tight times just around the corner
  6. 13High-street trader avoiding alcohol daily
  7. 16Rhine wine or pop?
  8. 17Goethe for one discarding an original thought
  9. 18Sons leaving to track bird and rabbit directly
  10. 20Really popular female performance
  11. 22Old woman hot in desert run
  12. 24Wants facts about English team heading for relegation
  13. 26Surgical procedure breaks bone: my mistake!
  14. 27Poor dealt with for fencing blue Aston Martin?

Down

  1. 1Branch manager Greene tours abroad
  2. 2Pervasive quality of first-class travellers
  3. 3What you do in pub close to crapulent bankrupt
  4. 4You shouldn’t have clipped sea monkey
  5. 5Tory no more whose time has passed
  6. 6Frau converted, absorbed in additional prayer
  7. 7Measure pain after leaving hospital
  8. 12Dear Welsh leopard destroyed residence
  9. 14Firms criticise one blocking move towards south
  10. 15Agent to slow insect devouring pitch
  11. 19Beat with undesirable acceleration in dance
  12. 21Motorist finally learned to put foot down
  13. 23Host hasn’t run very small outfit
  14. 25Purpose Kennedy periodically reveals

The answer to “Old woman hot in desert run” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is MARATHON — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 24, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 22-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.

“Old woman hot in desert run” answer

MARATHON (8 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 MARATHON.

What does MARATHON mean?

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

(noun)

  • a long-distance running race, strictly one of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km)

When else has “Old woman hot in desert run” 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 24, 2026 (most recent) → MARATHON. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Old woman hot in desert run”?

The answer is MARATHON, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 24, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Old woman hot in desert run”?

8 letters: MARATHON.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 24, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 22-Across.

Can “Old woman hot in desert run” 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 24, 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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