Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away

Latest answer — August 28, 2026

8 Across

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Clue explained

“Arsenic, say” defines POISON. Insert IS into POON, which is SPOON with its leading S removed: P O(IS)ON.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A laboratory container labelled arsenic, illustrating a poisonous substance

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 28, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

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

Across

  1. 1Awesome shape I would fit
  2. 8Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away
  3. 9Take in part of housing estate
  4. 10American dream exposed subject of interest
  5. 11Fine to fork out, holding learner driving licence, perhaps
  6. 12Quickly move profession
  7. 14Demonstrator ignoring first shooter?
  8. 16Strenuously working trait had to change
  9. 18Alliance’s power play
  10. 20Outline of small ship
  11. 21Servant in trouble, worried with nothing set aside
  12. 22Some sorrel scattered around

Down

  1. 2Old sour smell
  2. 3Maybe put wrong year on new Times ad
  3. 4Study conclusions of Edward Theodore Compton
  4. 5Excellent train bill rewritten
  5. 6Scottish town’s extremely ethical spirit
  6. 7Hope tears up in A&E
  7. 11Sick person might need this rest, unfortunately broken by vomit
  8. 13US state also known as being host for Vegas opener?
  9. 15Perhaps Ottawa is excellent
  10. 17Piece of information at university within direct message
  11. 19Mate could complete this part of French essay
  12. 21Life belt is optional at first

The answer to “Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away” in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword is POISON — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 28, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 8-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.

“Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away” answer

POISON (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 POISON.

What does POISON mean?

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

(noun)

  • a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed
  • something that has a destructive or corrupting influence
  • a substance that reduces the activity of a catalyst

When else has “Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away” 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.

August 28, 2026 (most recent) → POISON. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away”?

The answer is POISON, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 28, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away”?

6 letters: POISON.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 28, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 8-Across.

Can “Arsenic, say, is put in spoon when leader’s away” have a different answer?

Yes — The Times Quick 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 Quick Cryptic answers?

The full grid for August 28, 2026 is on the Times Quick Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Times Quick 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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