Simple ways back from defeat

The answer to “Simple ways back from defeat” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is MODEST — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 30, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 26-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.

“Simple ways back from defeat” answer

MODEST (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 MODEST.

Why the answer is MODEST

A word meaning simple is built from the idea of methods turned back after defeat 🔄

What does MODEST mean?

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

When else has “Simple ways back from defeat” 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 30, 2026 (most recent) → MODEST. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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