Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle

Latest answer — August 13, 2026

9 Down

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Clue explained

SCINTILLATE means sparkle. It begins with SIN, meaning be naughty, followed by C and a sound-alike rendering of TILL EIGHT, meaning up to 20:00; “reportedly” gives the homophone, while “stopping” supplies “till”.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A bright star emitting sparkling points of light

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 13, 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. 1Lot of crumbly feta
  2. 3Fish alongside boats in area with many bays
  3. 8Advice from governing body announced
  4. 10Plunder gun
  5. 11General visiting one running magazine, perhaps
  6. 13Found earth in box
  7. 15Boss I love in workplace?
  8. 17Supply Liberian oil for Donald Trump?
  9. 20Vessel blocking that road to the west
  10. 21I retain strange disinclination to move
  11. 22Stage one in development?
  12. 23Summons comedian over start of routine

Down

  1. 1Confront group for cosmetic treatment
  2. 2Digital lift-share organiser?
  3. 4Oscar moves into first-class accommodation aboard ship
  4. 5Its presence affected determination
  5. 6Checked entertaining female is urbane
  6. 7Appear in diocese before mass
  7. 9Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle
  8. 12Expectation for European project
  9. 14Bag more bananas in prohibition
  10. 16Strenuous sex over phone
  11. 18Playwright leaving quietly in Bury
  12. 19Defile father and second son

The answer to “Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle” in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword is SCINTILLATE — a 11-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 13, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 9-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.

“Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle” answer

SCINTILLATE (11 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 SCINTILLATE.

What does SCINTILLATE mean?

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

(verb)

  • emit flashes of light; sparkle

When else has “Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle” 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 13, 2026 (most recent) → SCINTILLATE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle”?

The answer is SCINTILLATE, a 11-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 13, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle”?

11 letters: SCINTILLATE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 13, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 9-Down.

Can “Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle” 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 13, 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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