American uncle restraining police inspector’s cruelty

The answer to “American uncle restraining police inspector’s cruelty” in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword is SADISM — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on September 7, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 7-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.

“American uncle restraining police inspector’s cruelty” answer

SADISM (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 SADISM.

What does SADISM mean?

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

When else has “American uncle restraining police inspector’s cruelty” appeared?

The Times Quick 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) → SADISM. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions