Telegraph Cryptic Crossword Answers - Aug 20

Cryptic Crossword No 31323

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Across

  1. 1Trust rotter to maintain right payment methodCREDITCARD
  2. 6Article in favour of advancing king's hairstyleAFRO
  3. 10Letters on tombstone raised tearRIPUP
  4. 11Great number from Beach Boys ultimately beyond you onceTHOUSANDS
  5. 12She occasionally fixes locksSECURES
  6. 13Canine bridge that is essentially implantSPANIEL
  7. 14Problem for Murphy in top boat at sea by dawnPOTATOBLIGHT
  8. 18Shop hoarding silver opening place to keep thingsSTORAGESPACE
  9. 21Moving swiftly onRUNNING
  10. 23Bar cryptic indication of "huts"SHUTOUT
  11. 24When the news is on daughter introduces Dec's partner and companionATTENDANT
  12. 25Wedge shot at Royal Birkdale?SLICE
  13. 26Hi-tech ornithology protecting parrotECHO
  14. 27After undergoing surgery, prettiness should be lastingPERSISTENT

Down

  1. 1Worries over son's petCARESS
  2. 2Assume old court is boxing gymEXPECT
  3. 3Parodies of one's individual deeds liberating ConservativeIMPERSONATIONS
  4. 4Static yet moving in Monaco?CITYSTATE
  5. 5Beginnings of tracks broadcastROOTS
  6. 7Results of loud noise enveloping popular centre for youngstersFINDINGS
  7. 8Only time to wear gong that's out of dateOBSOLETE
  8. 9Parts of meal covered by batter, they could be tough to finishASSAULTCOURSES
  9. 15Faces without appeal – apparently, they attractOPPOSITES
  10. 16Sure agitated European guy lying over IDUSERNAME
  11. 17Excellent score after revolutionary snooker shotTOPNOTCH
  12. 19What's given when quitting job as spyNOTICE
  13. 20Labour cabinet minister not in good waySTREET
  14. 22Threatening head of Green partyGRAVE

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Trust rotter to maintain right payment method — Answer: CREDITCARD. Hint: Think of a familiar way to pay, built from confidence and a playing-card character 💳
  2. 6. Article in favour of advancing king's hairstyle — Answer: AFRO. Hint: A hairstyle hides a tiny word meaning “in favour” after an article 💇
  3. 10. Letters on tombstone raised tear — Answer: RIPUP. Hint: Combine a gravestone inscription with a verb meaning tear, then lift it 🪦
  4. 11. Great number from Beach Boys ultimately beyond you once — Answer: THOUSANDS. Hint: Think of a huge quantity assembled from archaic address, shoreline terrain, and a final band letter 🌊
  5. 12. She occasionally fixes locks — Answer: SECURES. Hint: A verb for fastening locks is hidden through a selective reading of the first phrase 🔐
  6. 13. Canine bridge that is essentially implant — Answer: SPANIEL. Hint: A dog breed comes from a word for bridge plus the heart of a medical insertion 🐶
  7. 14. Problem for Murphy in top boat at sea by dawn — Answer: POTATOBLIGHT. Hint: An agricultural nuisance is formed by scrambling a vessel phrase, then adding “by” to dawn’s glow 🥔
  8. 18. Shop hoarding silver opening place to keep things — Answer: STORAGESPACE. Hint: A retail stock-holding area combines a shop’s outer letters with the chemical symbol for silver 🏬
  9. 21. Moving swiftly on — Answer: RUNNING. Hint: This word can describe both speedy movement and something continuing without pause 🏃
  10. 23. Bar cryptic indication of "huts" — Answer: SHUTOUT. Hint: Rearrange the quoted word and append a cryptic signal meaning excluded 🚫
  11. 24. When the news is on daughter introduces Dec's partner and companion — Answer: ATTENDANT. Hint: A companion or helper shares its name with a word meaning present, and the TV duo’s partner is a useful pointer 📺
  12. 25. Wedge shot at Royal Birkdale? — Answer: SLICE. Hint: A golfer’s wayward cut is also something a wedge may do, with the venue adding a golfing wink ⛳
  13. 26. Hi-tech ornithology protecting parrot — Answer: ECHO. Hint: Think of a parrot’s repeated sound, with the wordplay tucked inside a study of birds 🦜
  14. 27. After undergoing surgery, prettiness should be lasting — Answer: PERSISTENT. Hint: Scramble the word meaning prettiness to find something enduring ⏳

Down

  1. 1. Worries over son's pet — Answer: CARESS. Hint: A tender touch emerges from a word for concerns followed by a family abbreviation 🤗
  2. 2. Assume old court is boxing gym — Answer: EXPECT. Hint: A verb meaning assume combines “former” with a short form associated with physical education 🥊
  3. 3. Parodies of one's individual deeds liberating Conservative — Answer: IMPERSONATIONS. Hint: Parodies that mimic people are built from the idea of acting as another, with a political abbreviation removed 🎭
  4. 4. Static yet moving in Monaco? — Answer: CITYSTATE. Hint: Monaco provides the definition, while the clue’s motion indicator tells you to rearrange two short words 🇲🇨
  5. 5. Beginnings of tracks broadcast — Answer: ROOTS. Hint: Think of both a word for beginnings and something belonging to a plant, with “tracks” suggesting music 🌱
  6. 7. Results of loud noise enveloping popular centre for youngsters — Answer: FINDINGS. Hint: Results combine a musical loudness mark, a sound effect, and a brief form of popular 📊
  7. 8. Only time to wear gong that's out of date — Answer: OBSOLETE. Hint: Something no longer current belongs in the past. ⏳
  8. 9. Parts of meal covered by batter, they could be tough to finish — Answer: ASSAULTCOURSES. Hint: Think of grueling obstacle runs rather than dinner. 🪖
  9. 15. Faces without appeal – apparently, they attract — Answer: OPPOSITES. Hint: These contrasting forces are famously drawn together. 🧲
  10. 16. Sure agitated European guy lying over ID — Answer: USERNAME. Hint: Your online identifier helps distinguish you on a website. 💻
  11. 17. Excellent score after revolutionary snooker shot — Answer: TOPNOTCH. Hint: A phrase for the highest quality is clued through a billiards success. 🎱
  12. 19. What's given when quitting job as spy — Answer: NOTICE. Hint: It is formally given before leaving employment. 📄
  13. 20. Labour cabinet minister not in good way — Answer: STREET. Hint: A public road gives this word its most familiar sense. 🛣️
  14. 22. Threatening head of Green party — Answer: GRAVE. Hint: It can mean both serious and a burial place. ⚰️

Recent Telegraph Cryptic Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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Here are the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers for Thursday, August 20, 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 20?” 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 20, 2026

The full solution for the August 20 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 Thursday, August 20.

Full Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answer list for August 20, 2026

Every clue from the August 20 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Across

#ClueAnswer
1Trust rotter to maintain right payment methodCREDITCARD
6Article in favour of advancing king's hairstyleAFRO
10Letters on tombstone raised tearRIPUP
11Great number from Beach Boys ultimately beyond you onceTHOUSANDS
12She occasionally fixes locksSECURES
13Canine bridge that is essentially implantSPANIEL
14Problem for Murphy in top boat at sea by dawnPOTATOBLIGHT
18Shop hoarding silver opening place to keep thingsSTORAGESPACE
21Moving swiftly onRUNNING
23Bar cryptic indication of "huts"SHUTOUT
24When the news is on daughter introduces Dec's partner and companionATTENDANT
25Wedge shot at Royal Birkdale?SLICE
26Hi-tech ornithology protecting parrotECHO
27After undergoing surgery, prettiness should be lastingPERSISTENT

Down

#ClueAnswer
1Worries over son's petCARESS
2Assume old court is boxing gymEXPECT
3Parodies of one's individual deeds liberating ConservativeIMPERSONATIONS
4Static yet moving in Monaco?CITYSTATE
5Beginnings of tracks broadcastROOTS
7Results of loud noise enveloping popular centre for youngstersFINDINGS
8Only time to wear gong that's out of dateOBSOLETE
9Parts of meal covered by batter, they could be tough to finishASSAULTCOURSES
15Faces without appeal – apparently, they attractOPPOSITES
16Sure agitated European guy lying over IDUSERNAME
17Excellent score after revolutionary snooker shotTOPNOTCH
19What's given when quitting job as spyNOTICE
20Labour cabinet minister not in good waySTREET
22Threatening head of Green partyGRAVE

Hints for the August 20 cryptic

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The August 20 Telegraph Cryptic was a classic Thursday 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?

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Frequently asked questions

What were the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers on August 20, 2026?

Every across and down answer for the Thursday, August 20, 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.

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

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