Present referee with lawsuit for corruption

Latest answer — September 10, 2026

1 Down

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Clue explained

PUTREFACTION means corruption or decay. It is PUT, “present”, plus REF, a short form of referee, and ACTION, a lawsuit.

Clue type:
Definition
Organic matter undergoing visible decay

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 10, 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. 1Biting witticism by chap
  2. 7It’s spinning in space curiously free of pathogens
  3. 9Gold carried by river in spate
  4. 10Proposition in article upset Rome
  5. 11Repetition in speech obtrudes
  6. 12Gutted keen wise bird with advantage in intelligence
  7. 14Swindle young and vulnerable competitor
  8. 16Unemployed, I would lie vacant
  9. 17Chewed corn is coating one tooth
  10. 20Bill is able to sing to a good standard
  11. 21Son running in new leather slippers can’t be so?
  12. 22Serious-minded attention initially needs extremely serious thought

Down

  1. 1Present referee with lawsuit for corruption
  2. 2Like Shetlanders, a third Norwegian there, mostly the last of Norsemen
  3. 3Drawn contest failing to reach conclusion
  4. 4Skin art, worthless stuff as well
  5. 5Person often setting skilfully amid sound of derision
  6. 6Southern sailor, and what he may navigate by?
  7. 8Start company 1,000 workers join together?
  8. 12Retain drink from Japan as souvenir
  9. 13Limit on activity of disused railway
  10. 15Scoff at some of the dire dishes turning up
  11. 18Ice cream topped cake for afternoon tea
  12. 19Old type of word almost completely in the past

The answer to “Present referee with lawsuit for corruption” in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword is PUTREFACTION — a 12-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on September 10, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 1-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.

“Present referee with lawsuit for corruption” answer

PUTREFACTION (12 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 PUTREFACTION.

What does PUTREFACTION mean?

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

(noun)

  • the process of decay or rotting in a body or other organic matter

When else has “Present referee with lawsuit for corruption” 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 10, 2026 (most recent) → PUTREFACTION. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Present referee with lawsuit for corruption”?

The answer is PUTREFACTION, a 12-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on September 10, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Present referee with lawsuit for corruption”?

12 letters: PUTREFACTION.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on September 10, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 1-Down.

Can “Present referee with lawsuit for corruption” 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 10, 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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