Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo

Latest answer — August 18, 2026

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Clue explained

MERCUTIO, Romeo’s friend in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is the definition. It is an anagram (“tense exchanges”) of MET CURIO.

Clue type:
Pop culture
A theatrical depiction of Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, August 18, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1Parrot about to stuff mouth
  2. 4Member of defence regularly saw what overlooked claims could be?
  3. 9Cleric managed to nab retiring journalist on Russian river
  4. 10Band splits after going west
  5. 11Reverse hype? Relax
  6. 12This speaker approves two tries
  7. 14Corrupt eminent cop; extremely cocky example of uselessness
  8. 17Local left in charge of small hospital in trendy teaching institution
  9. 20Deliberate individual nuance
  10. 21Shakes “a kilo” in brief search
  11. 23Matter of huge imaginary circle having radius cut
  12. 24Article, risqué, about old Conservative form of government
  13. 25Screw undone, ergo nearly out
  14. 26Organ essentially protected by vein implant

Down

  1. 1Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo
  2. 2Shell in vehicle shifting quickly
  3. 3Something covering features with a crude humourless act
  4. 4Snubbed robust complaint
  5. 5Meeting company with head lacking in deduction
  6. 6Regional administrators instruct codicil should be changed
  7. 7Warder missing northern country
  8. 8Leave cornered, pulled up after partial loss of power
  9. 13Duke’s gushing, not upset
  10. 15Naval location cut short, over 0.9144m
  11. 16Lloyd set fancy typeface
  12. 18Shocked judge took flight having lost billions
  13. 19Arm functioning after electronic hand shackles withdrawn
  14. 22A round American fruit

The answer to “Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is MERCUTIO — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 18, 2026, a Tuesday 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.

“Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo” answer

MERCUTIO (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 MERCUTIO.

When else has “Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo” 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 18, 2026 (most recent) → MERCUTIO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo”?

The answer is MERCUTIO, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo”?

8 letters: MERCUTIO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 18, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 1-Down.

Can “Romeo’s friend met Curio after tense exchanges with Romeo” 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 18, 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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