Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?

Latest answer — September 07, 2026

15 Down

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Clue explained

EARPIECES are parts of the ear. “Blowers” are ears in slang, while hammers and anvils, along with stirrups, are the tiny ossicles of the middle ear; the question mark signals this playful anatomical reading.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
An anatomical diagram labeling the middle-ear bones: malleus, incus and stapes.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Monday, September 07, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Equipment, on rupture trapping acceleration line, forces jumper closer to drop
  2. 9Throw out old regressive record, Lulu’s first
  3. 10One fellow is in France, plugging country cycling policies
  4. 11Lured down, confused, crossing River Styx here?
  5. 12Raised money on podcast
  6. 14Did squeeze bishop’s backside beneath robes, without introduction
  7. 16Street apartment evacuated on gathering lead from information channel
  8. 17Phone in say, about plant
  9. 19Pleasure-seeking romantic in ode, hurt somewhat on the rebound
  10. 20Fool facing Chaser in game, more than one losing round
  11. 21Location of collection — small pound outside US city university centre of mathematics
  12. 24US colonic shifted blockage of passage
  13. 25As far as tips of northern Greenland’s Arctic island group
  14. 26Extra flexible workforce attempt to secure area

Down

  1. 1It’s assumed posties rip up redirected letters regularly in town
  2. 2Quick wry jape — bit odd, they’re all naked!
  3. 3Divisive work boosted city revolt
  4. 4Timber, length truncated and vein across width
  5. 5Regularly unwound with bonus puzzle
  6. 6Abandoned amphibian down from loch
  7. 7Claim key and lock up; no one coming round
  8. 8Top business accommodating guests?
  9. 13S&M pictures perhaps in flyer
  10. 15Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?
  11. 18Workers’ digs?
  12. 19You saw some four or more roe deer or moose?
  13. 22British hooligan scratching walls in African thatched hut
  14. 23Swallow filling when somersaulting

The answer to “Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is EARPIECES — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 7, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 15-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.

“Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?” answer

EARPIECES (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 EARPIECES.

What does EARPIECES mean?

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

(noun)

  • the part of a phone, radio receiver, or other aural device that is applied to the ear during use
  • the part of a pair of glasses that fits around the ear

When else has “Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?” 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 7, 2026 (most recent) → EARPIECES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?”?

The answer is EARPIECES, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?”?

9 letters: EARPIECES.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 7, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 15-Down.

Can “Parts of blowers, hammers and anvils etc?” 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 7, 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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