Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle

Latest answer — August 25, 2026

22 Down

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Clue explained

BOSON is an elementary particle, giving the direct definition. The clue also alludes to bosons as force-carrying particles that help matter bind or be contained, making “thing that helps to contain” a loose descriptive wordplay.

Clue type:
Definition
An educational particle-physics illustration representing a boson as a force carrier.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, August 25, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1Return of average rain and mist
  2. 4Freeze fish which slips under sole?
  3. 10My face is friendly
  4. 11Phase UK out in radical reorganisation
  5. 12President destroying capital — this is all that’s left?
  6. 13Creature a chap found in southern tree
  7. 15Place in play nun is wandering in Hamlet?
  8. 16Microphone capturing me casually in house?
  9. 18Slick move by goalie grips United
  10. 19Describe round in combat game
  11. 21Cut of meat loaf prepared with wine — essential nourishment
  12. 23Hit Friends is returning
  13. 26Son absorbed by proper ancestry
  14. 27Irritation after Charlie Lake’s silly mistake
  15. 28Drink can remedy getting tense inside
  16. 29Former line in output from bakery

Down

  1. 1Very current transport minister
  2. 2Urge to fire party lacking skill supported by country
  3. 3Time at home you put up kitchen cabinet?
  4. 5Lawsuit involving scoundrel falls
  5. 6Tiny child in wartime camp, which slowly grows up?
  6. 7Modify pieces in plug
  7. 8Carp I cooked with lime, based on experience
  8. 9Andean animal of mountain and coastal areas primarily
  9. 14Undesirable result if feeds etc are modified
  10. 15Disgrace of Republican stopping record change
  11. 17Heavenly brilliance of bird without name gaining height
  12. 19Pig’s head on second dish
  13. 20Bitter about one splitting party — sheer folly
  14. 22Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle
  15. 24Composer’s block
  16. 25A delay when mounting festival

The answer to “Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is BOSON — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 25, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 22-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.

“Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle” answer

BOSON (5 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 BOSON.

What does BOSON mean?

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

(noun)

  • a subatomic particle, such as a photon, which has zero or integral spin and follows the statistical description given by S. N. Bose and Einstein

When else has “Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle” 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 25, 2026 (most recent) → BOSON. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle”?

The answer is BOSON, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle”?

5 letters: BOSON.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 25, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 22-Down.

Can “Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle” 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 25, 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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