Telegraph Cryptic Crossword Answers - Aug 12

Cryptic Crossword No 31316

F
I
N
E
T
O
O
T
H
C
O
M
B
A
A
R
M
O
O
E
L
U
N
C
H
E
O
N
V
O
U
C
H
E
R
S
K
N
I
H
K
T
E
M
E
T
I
C
B
E
A
R
S
K
I
N
H
E
H
U
F
N
O
W
N
G
O
A
L
S
S
P
O
N
G
E
O
E
N
E
O
P
D
A
M
M
I
T
B
R
A
T
T
I
S
H
V
I
E
W
M
E
T
O
W
N
H
A
L
L
O
S
M
I
U
M
C
A
T
L
R
T
E
C
A
S
T
L
E
S
I
N
T
H
E
A
I
R
D
E
U
N
H
T
A
L
O
R
D
P
R
I
V
Y
S
E
A
L

Across

  1. 1Clement Freud's first fiancée appearing regularlyFINE
  2. 3Canine maybe excessively hot, nursing temperatureTOOTH
  3. 6Groom horse hurdling last at EpsomCOMB
  4. 8Large United Reformed Church oven, one provider of a mealLUNCHEONVOUCHER
  5. 9English police force in charge? That's sickeningEMETIC
  6. 10Carry winter sport equipment back in Russian fur hatBEARSKIN
  7. 11"Over weight" slogan created self-inflicted damageOWNGOALS
  8. 13One likely to get tipsy cake?SPONGE
  9. 15Curse what a beaver might do to a stream, it's saidDAMMIT
  10. 17Badly behaved, Bart hits outBRATTISH
  11. 19Drag everybody outside new hospital community buildingTOWNHALL
  12. 21Very large mother given injection of iodine elementOSMIUM
  13. 22Keeps floating unrealistic plansCASTLESINTHEAIR
  14. 23Endlessly amusing retired peerLORD
  15. 24Starts to put rosewater in very yucky outside looPRIVY
  16. 25Aquatic mammal left to follow the tideSEAL

Down

  1. 1Fabrication of shoe lad engineeredFALSEHOOD
  2. 2Granny enthusiastic for fabricNANKEEN
  3. 3Cutting defensive position, soldier?TRENCHANT
  4. 4Coach upset substitute at home and SalahOMNIBUS
  5. 5Fuss embodied by Cornish "ooh arr"HOOHA
  6. 6Prepares to fire former Labour leader Michael, being a grassCOCKSFOOT
  7. 7Gathering support for driver heading north with trendy sports car aroundMEETING
  8. 12Paired with good artist Tracey on wild dateGEMINATED
  9. 13Theory was pulled to pieces so it should hold waterSEAWORTHY
  10. 14English pub on green barring daughter just for a brief periodEPHEMERAL
  11. 16One from Mexico getting stoned before dinner?AVOCADO
  12. 17Almost ringing international artistBELLINI
  13. 18Copy current friend installing techIMITATE
  14. 20Some Eurocrat (EU politician) cleaned his plateATEUP

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Clement Freud's first fiancée appearing regularly — Answer: FINE. Hint: A word of approval is formed from Freud’s first letter and regularly appearing letters of “fiancée.” 😉
  2. 3. Canine maybe excessively hot, nursing temperature — Answer: TOOTH. Hint: A canine can be one of these, especially noticeable when it’s sensitive to heat. 🦷
  3. 6. Groom horse hurdling last at Epsom — Answer: COMB. Hint: Think of the simple grooming tool used to tidy a horse’s mane. 🐴
  4. 8. Large United Reformed Church oven, one provider of a meal — Answer: LUNCHEONVOUCHER. Hint: Think of a workplace perk that helps cover the cost of your midday meal. 🍽️
  5. 9. English police force in charge? That's sickening — Answer: EMETIC. Hint: Think of a word meaning nauseating, assembled from an English abbreviation, a London police force, and “in charge.” 🤢
  6. 10. Carry winter sport equipment back in Russian fur hat — Answer: BEARSKIN. Hint: A Russian fur hat is defined here, while the wordplay pairs a synonym for “carry” with winter-sport equipment reversed. 🐻
  7. 11. "Over weight" slogan created self-inflicted damage — Answer: OWNGOALS. Hint: These are blunders that hurt your own side, especially when a slogan backfires. ⚽
  8. 13. One likely to get tipsy cake? — Answer: SPONGE. Hint: Think of a cake that readily soaks up a boozy drizzle. 🍰
  9. 15. Curse what a beaver might do to a stream, it's said — Answer: DAMMIT. Hint: Think of a playful exclamation that combines a beaver’s handiwork with a mild curse. 🦫
  10. 17. Badly behaved, Bart hits out — Answer: BRATTISH. Hint: Think of a mischievous cartoon youngster when describing this naughty behavior. 😈
  11. 19. Drag everybody outside new hospital community building — Answer: TOWNHALL. Hint: Think of the place where a community gathers for local meetings and decisions 🏛️
  12. 21. Very large mother given injection of iodine element — Answer: OSMIUM. Hint: Look for a famously heavy metal built from a synonym for mother, iodine’s chemical symbol, and an abbreviation for something very large. ⚗️
  13. 22. Keeps floating unrealistic plans — Answer: CASTLESINTHEAIR. Hint: These are fanciful dreams with no solid foundation. ☁️
  14. 23. Endlessly amusing retired peer — Answer: LORD. Hint: Reverse a synonym for amusing after removing its final letter to find this title for a peer. 🧩
  15. 24. Starts to put rosewater in very yucky outside loo — Answer: PRIVY. Hint: Think of an old-fashioned word for an outdoor toilet. 🚻
  16. 25. Aquatic mammal left to follow the tide — Answer: SEAL. Hint: Think of a sleek ocean dweller often seen basking on rocks or barking from the shore 🦭

Down

  1. 1. Fabrication of shoe lad engineered — Answer: FALSEHOOD. Hint: It’s a made-up claim that isn’t true. 🤥
  2. 2. Granny enthusiastic for fabric — Answer: NANKEEN. Hint: Think of a fabric whose name cleverly evokes both a grandmother and eager enthusiasm. 🧵
  3. 3. Cutting defensive position, soldier? — Answer: TRENCHANT. Hint: Think of something sharply expressed, with a battlefield flavor. ⚔️
  4. 4. Coach upset substitute at home and Salah — Answer: OMNIBUS. Hint: Think of a large passenger vehicle or a collected edition containing several works. 📚
  5. 5. Fuss embodied by Cornish "ooh arr" — Answer: HOOHA. Hint: Think of a playful word for a commotion, echoed by a stereotypical Cornish exclamation. 😄
  6. 6. Prepares to fire former Labour leader Michael, being a grass — Answer: COCKSFOOT. Hint: Think of a type of grass whose name combines getting ready to fire with a former Labour leader. 🌱
  7. 7. Gathering support for driver heading north with trendy sports car around — Answer: MEETING. Hint: Think of an arranged get-together, perhaps to discuss an important issue. 🤝
  8. 12. Paired with good artist Tracey on wild date — Answer: GEMINATED. Hint: Think of a term meaning doubled or paired, with a famous artist’s name hidden within it. 🎨
  9. 13. Theory was pulled to pieces so it should hold water — Answer: SEAWORTHY. Hint: Think of something built to remain afloat and safely carry people or cargo 🚢
  10. 14. English pub on green barring daughter just for a brief period — Answer: EPHEMERAL. Hint: Think of something that lasts only a fleeting moment. ⏳
  11. 16. One from Mexico getting stoned before dinner? — Answer: AVOCADO. Hint: This Mexican menu staple gets its “stoned” reputation from the pit tucked inside. 🥑
  12. 17. Almost ringing international artist — Answer: BELLINI. Hint: Think of the Italian Renaissance painter whose name evokes a sound at the door 🎨
  13. 18. Copy current friend installing tech — Answer: IMITATE. Hint: Think of what you do when you mimic someone’s actions or style. 🪞
  14. 20. Some Eurocrat (EU politician) cleaned his plate — Answer: ATEUP. Hint: Think of someone who finished every bite on the plate. 🍽️

Recent Telegraph Cryptic Answers

The last 6 days of solutions

Telegraph Cryptic 11 August 2026Telegraph Cryptic 10 August 2026Telegraph Cryptic 7 August 2026Telegraph Cryptic 6 August 2026Telegraph Cryptic 5 August 2026Telegraph Cryptic 4 August 2026

Here are the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers for Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — every solution for that day's Monday–Friday 15×15 cryptic, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on August 12?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers page.

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers for August 12, 2026

The full solution for the August 12 Telegraph Cryptic is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Wednesday, August 12.

Full Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answer list for August 12, 2026

Every clue from the August 12 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Across

#ClueAnswer
1Clement Freud's first fiancée appearing regularlyFINE
3Canine maybe excessively hot, nursing temperatureTOOTH
6Groom horse hurdling last at EpsomCOMB
8Large United Reformed Church oven, one provider of a mealLUNCHEONVOUCHER
9English police force in charge? That's sickeningEMETIC
10Carry winter sport equipment back in Russian fur hatBEARSKIN
11"Over weight" slogan created self-inflicted damageOWNGOALS
13One likely to get tipsy cake?SPONGE
15Curse what a beaver might do to a stream, it's saidDAMMIT
17Badly behaved, Bart hits outBRATTISH
19Drag everybody outside new hospital community buildingTOWNHALL
21Very large mother given injection of iodine elementOSMIUM
22Keeps floating unrealistic plansCASTLESINTHEAIR
23Endlessly amusing retired peerLORD
24Starts to put rosewater in very yucky outside looPRIVY
25Aquatic mammal left to follow the tideSEAL

Down

#ClueAnswer
1Fabrication of shoe lad engineeredFALSEHOOD
2Granny enthusiastic for fabricNANKEEN
3Cutting defensive position, soldier?TRENCHANT
4Coach upset substitute at home and SalahOMNIBUS
5Fuss embodied by Cornish "ooh arr"HOOHA
6Prepares to fire former Labour leader Michael, being a grassCOCKSFOOT
7Gathering support for driver heading north with trendy sports car aroundMEETING
12Paired with good artist Tracey on wild dateGEMINATED
13Theory was pulled to pieces so it should hold waterSEAWORTHY
14English pub on green barring daughter just for a brief periodEPHEMERAL
16One from Mexico getting stoned before dinner?AVOCADO
17Almost ringing international artistBELLINI
18Copy current friend installing techIMITATE
20Some Eurocrat (EU politician) cleaned his plateATEUP

Hints for the August 12 cryptic

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The August 12 Telegraph Cryptic was a classic Wednesday 15×15 of cryptic wordplay — anagrams, charades, double definitions and the rest — separate from the harder Toughie. If a long entry stalls you, a hint or a single confirmed answer usually opens the corner around it. Use the hints first, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.

Looking for a different day?

Prefer to solve rather than peek? The play button opens the puzzle so you can try that day's grid yourself, then come back to check your answers. Stuck on a single clue from any puzzle, our crossword solver reveals just that answer from your known letters.

Frequently asked questions

What were the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers on August 12, 2026?

Every across and down answer for the Wednesday, August 12, 2026 Telegraph Cryptic is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed Monday–Friday 15×15 cryptic as published that day.

Was that day's puzzle the Toughie or the Prize Cryptic?

No — this archive page is the standard weekday Cryptic. The Toughie (Tue–Fri) and weekend Prize Cryptics are separate Telegraph puzzles.

Where can I find today's Telegraph Cryptic answers?

Today's live puzzle is on our Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers today page, updated as soon as each new weekday grid goes live.

How do I look up a different date?

Use the previous/next links above to step between weekdays, or open the today page to browse the full dated archive. There is no Mon–Fri Cryptic on Saturday or Sunday.

NYT Crossword Answers NYT Mini Crossword Answers Wordle Hint Today Connections Hint Today Strands Hint Today Quordle Hint Today Contexto Hint Today Spotle Hint Today Minute Cryptic Answer Today Pips Hint Today Jumble Answers Today 7 Little Words Answers