Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation

Latest answer — August 14, 2026

22 Across

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Clue explained

LOCUM is a deputy or temporary substitute. COL, the abbreviation for colonel, is reversed by “retreating” to make LOC, followed by UM, a written indication of hesitation.

Clue type:
Definition
A doctor working as a temporary locum.

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 14, 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. 8Volume about exposed lives causing strong feeling
  2. 9Let everybody down essentially
  3. 10Understood diplomacy about India
  4. 11Protein in stale nuts
  5. 12Bury religious subgroup’s cross
  6. 14Age fragment from triceratops
  7. 16Shade house periodically
  8. 18Shocking actor is out, mostly performing
  9. 21Writer’s attitude Democrat forced on others
  10. 22Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation
  11. 23Odd hint of dew on dam
  12. 24Sharp knife left in strange places

Down

  1. 1Accompanied fool, stopping when confused
  2. 2Animal in ancient times aboard ark?
  3. 3Reportedly selected northern Brit many moons ago
  4. 4Remove TV set up in vacated domicile
  5. 5Perform under girl in charge of a myriad of stars?
  6. 6Carefree couples starting blog itemise headlines
  7. 7Tense wife in couple
  8. 13Composition in D sharp you almost screwed up
  9. 15Company skilfully covering bungle up
  10. 17Naughty priest’s wit
  11. 19Plant impetuous former princess breaks
  12. 20Hold old trophy in 100 years
  13. 21Area south of island state
  14. 22Youth boxes European first

The answer to “Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation” in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword is LOCUM — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 14, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 22-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.

“Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation” answer

LOCUM (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 LOCUM.

What does LOCUM mean?

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

(noun)

  • a person who stands in temporarily for someone else of the same profession, especially a doctor or cleric

When else has “Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation” 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 14, 2026 (most recent) → LOCUM. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation”?

The answer is LOCUM, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 14, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation”?

5 letters: LOCUM.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 14, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 22-Across.

Can “Deputy colonel retreating — indication of hesitation” 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 14, 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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