Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke

Latest answer — September 03, 2026

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Clue explained

A SADIST is a cruel sort. The answer is an anagram (“sort”) of IS, A and T(ime), with D(uke): IS+A+T+D → SADIST.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
An illustrative depiction of a cruel character

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 03, 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. 1Dog do Irish playwright bags
  2. 5Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke
  3. 8Criminal unnamed holds South Polar explorer
  4. 9Snake-haired female leaves cheese for French writer
  5. 10Killer inside Windsor Castle
  6. 11Charlie to feed a stray lately — feline one?
  7. 12Scots girl sails terribly close to shore
  8. 14Reproductive organ primarily adapted to marsupial
  9. 16Monster child devouring Greek character
  10. 18Grandmother beginning to annoy idiot
  11. 20Stone dropped into excellent wine
  12. 21Lifeless hair — intractable problem
  13. 23Male voice on the radio for £10
  14. 24Dye and ink misused in class

Down

  1. 2Poet in with Romeo
  2. 3Disavowals from Stormy Daniels
  3. 4Insect losing tail is no more
  4. 5Bloomer in tabloid — female let down
  5. 6Silly involving two Zulus in do-it-yourself
  6. 7Dried fruit for Ottoman lady
  7. 11Great ruler in a country invaded by former queen
  8. 13American paper under discussion
  9. 15Chinese dynasty ruled and was sociable
  10. 17One spreading legs — it may cause tears
  11. 19Hotel occupies lovely position
  12. 22Bird among skuas heading north

The answer to “Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke” in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword is SADIST — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on September 3, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 5-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.

“Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke” answer

SADIST (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 SADIST.

What does SADIST mean?

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

(noun)

  • a person who derives pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from inflicting pain or humiliation on others

When else has “Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke” 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 3, 2026 (most recent) → SADIST. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke”?

The answer is SADIST, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on September 3, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke”?

6 letters: SADIST.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on September 3, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 5-Across.

Can “Cruel sort, it is time to arrest duke” 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 September 3, 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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