Minute Cryptic helper

Check a cryptic clue’s letter operation and see the construction step by step.

Your puzzle

Wordplay operation

Wordplay fodder

Enter the words or proposed synonym/abbreviation letters on which the indicator operates.

Second part (optional)

For a container: letters to insert. For deletion: letters to remove. For a charade: letters to append.

Answer pattern

Letters and dots. Use .... for a four-letter answer.

Proposed answer (optional)

Check one answer, including an entry absent from the local dictionary.

Dictionary and candidate scope

The local dictionary is independent of the publisher's accepted list. Names, phrases and short words may need a list you enter.

Word listYour words (optional)

Used only when Words I enter is selected. Separate 1–48-letter words with spaces or new lines; up to 2,000 words.

The example illustrates the helper; it is not a publisher's daily puzzle.

A little help

Enter your puzzle or try the original example. You choose when to open candidates, explanations and complete results.

Verified puzzle guides

The latest retained puzzle is 2026-10-05.

Browse 2 verified puzzles.

How the Minute Cryptic helper works

Most cryptic clues supply a definition plus wordplay.
An indicator tells you which operation may act on the fodder.
A mechanical match still needs the definition and grammar of the whole clue to work.

Test a proposed anagram, hidden answer, selector, reversal, container, deletion or charade. The result shows exactly which letters produce a candidate and what remains to verify about the clue.

Results use the puzzle you enter; they are not verified daily answers. Your entries stay out of public URLs.

Original example: “Lower down, elbow twisted (5)”

“Lower down” can define BELOW. “Twisted” suggests rearrangement and ELBOW supplies the letters. The anagram checker confirms that BELOW uses B, E, L, O and W once each. The definition and indicator make this a complete proposed parse.

Original example: “Animal in attic at noon (3)”

Ignoring spaces, ATTICATNOON contains CAT across “attic at”. The definition “Animal” and indicator “in” support reading those consecutive letters. The result identifies the exact positions rather than merely suggesting a related animal.

Build compound wordplay in stages

If the clue replaces “doctor” with DR before insertion, enter DR as the second part and check the insertion. Verify that abbreviation separately. The tool deliberately does not invent synonym substitutions or claim that a homophone sounds the same in every accent.

Supported puzzle types

Letter-operation analysis for an entered clue

Scope of this helper

Player-entered puzzles only; no verified daily answer feed.
Local word matches are dictionary candidates, not confirmation of the intended clue answer.

Play the original at Minute Cryptic. This is an unofficial helper with no publisher affiliation.

Rules and reference sources

Minute Cryptic rules and guide — checked 2026-10-04

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