01
Direct definition · 4 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Poker payment
Meaning cue
It is the stake every player may put in before the cards are dealt.
A different practice route each day
Clue Clinic · August 18, 2026
Today's set is organized by how each clue works, with the largest round focused on meaning warm-up. Reveal any answer immediately or use its tailored cue first.
8 meaning warm-up · 1 language tricks · 2 short forms · 1 knowledge clues
Meaning warm-up
Direct definitions and familiar senses to establish the day's solving rhythm.
02
Direct definition · 4 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Leave out
Meaning cue
Look for a four-letter verb meaning to exclude something.
03
Direct definition · 4 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Small songbird
Meaning cue
This tiny bird has a short name beginning with a silent-looking consonant pair.
04
Direct definition · 4 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Like a desert
Meaning cue
The answer means extremely dry or receiving little rain.
05
Direct definition · 4 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Burn slightly
Meaning cue
Cooks do this quickly to brown the outside of food.
06
Direct definition · 4 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Out of danger
Meaning cue
The opposite of at risk.
07
Direct definition · 3 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Write quickly
Meaning cue
You might do this to a note before you forget it.
08
Direct definition · 3 lettersShow the answer and explanation →
Actor's prompt
Meaning cue
It is the signal that tells a performer when to begin.
Language tricks
Punctuation, double meanings, and clue turns that reward a second look.
09
Wordplay · 5 lettersOpen the answer and unpack the wordplay →
Site of a strike
What to notice
Picture where ten pins stand at the far end of a lane.
Short forms
Abbreviations, informal usage, and compact entries whose form is part of the solve.
10
Abbreviation · 4 lettersOpen the answer and decode the shorthand →
Contractor's detail, for short
Form cue
Think of a four-letter shortening for a written project requirement.
11
Abbreviation · 3 lettersOpen the answer and decode the shorthand →
Opposite of WSW
Form cue
Rotate west-southwest by 180 degrees on a compass.
Knowledge clues
Names, titles, places, and facts where one precise detail confirms the fill.
12
Fact clue · 3 lettersOpen the answer and verify the reference →
Bird on Australia's coat of arms
Identity cue
It is a large flightless bird native to Australia.