Cryptic clues — 15 October 2026

Answers & explanations

1. FORWARD (7)

   Sorting-office aside when the sack tips. Hidden in takes FORWARD from forwarding. Ahead is the onward sense — forward still — and franking ink cloaks the long hide as postal weather, host exact.

2. EXTEND (6)

   Office kitchen when the kettle boils again. Within draws EXTEND from extended. Prolong is the pass-on sense — extend the pause — and biscuit crumbs sell the hide as ordinary workplace drift.

3. SALE (4)

   High-street window when the red tags still flap. Bargain event is a sale; hale with a change swaps H for S — HALE to SALE. Soft mannequin glare and a lukewarm flat white dress the switch as shop aside.

4. FARE (4)

   The ticket is FARE, drawn from the first letters of felt, accused, remain, else. The surface keeps a straight face while the acrostic hides inside.

5. PATENT (6)

   Overshoe after ale becomes official leave. Drunk anagrams patten into PATENT; licence is the British spelling of the grant sense. Footwear history plus bureaucracy — an odd couple that somehow walks straight.

6. YUMMY (5)

   Delectable is the definition; the first letters of the listed words spell YUMMY.

7. DOCTOR (6)

   Surgery door when the tonic still fizzes. Physician is the medical man; adulterate is to load or doctor a mixture. Same word for healer and for the shady tweak.

8. WASH (4)

   Utility room when the dryer still hums. Watt maps to W; powder supplies ASH — W+ASH spells WASH. Launder is the cleanse-with-water sense. Soft lint and a sticky basket cloak the short symbol join as domestic weather.

9. CURTAIN (7)

   Theatre hush. Pall is a curtain; certain with a change turns E into U, giving CURTAIN.

10. KNOCKOUT (8)

    Ringside mutter when the bell still hums. Tap yields KNOCK; retired OUT — KNOCKOUT, a stunner. Sweat and a bent stool cloak tap-then-retired as fight-night chatter.