Charade clues

The answer is built from pieces placed one after another, like building blocks.

In a charade the wordplay gives you two or more parts that join, in order, to make the answer. Each part might be a synonym, an abbreviation or a short word taken as it is.

Link words such as 'and', 'with', 'by', 'after' or 'on' often glue the parts together. In a down clue, 'on' can mean one piece sits on top of the next.

Examples

Vehicle and favourite floor covering (6)

CARPET: CAR (vehicle) + PET (favourite) = CARPET, defined by 'floor covering'.

Limb and finish make a story (6)

LEGEND: LEG (limb) + END (finish) = LEGEND, defined by 'story'.

Common indicators

and
with
by
after
before
on
next to
beside
following
joining
plus
meets

See indicators for every clue type

Solving tips

Try splitting the answer length into likely chunks, such as 3+3 or 2+4, and think of short synonyms for each part.

Stuck on one? Try it in the solver