The Times Concise Crossword

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The Times daily crossword with straight definition clues.

on thetimes.com

Times Puzzles app store picture headed Crosswords for all levels: a phone showing The Times Concise No 8924 grid with a timer at 03:32 and one answer highlighted in orange

The Times Concise is the paper's daily non-cryptic crossword: each clue is a plain definition, so it is quicker and easier to start than the Cryptic. It runs Monday to Saturday, with a Sunday Times Concise on Sundays, and online it needs a Times subscription.

About The Times Concise Crossword

The Times Concise is the straightforward partner to the paper's Cryptic. Every clue is a simple definition or synonym, with the answer length in brackets, so there is no wordplay to untangle: if you know the word, you can write it in. The weekday series is numbered and has passed 10,000 puzzles.

A new Times Concise appears every day from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays the slot goes to the Sunday Times Concise, which has its own numbering. All of them sit in the list on The Times crossword page by date, next to the Cryptic, the Quick Cryptic, general knowledge puzzles and the weekend Jumbos, so a missed day can be played later.

The online player lets you click a clue or a square and type, with the usual crossword tools to check your work. Access online needs a Times subscription, either a Puzzles subscription or full digital access. The same puzzles are in the Times Puzzles app for iPhone and Android, which keeps a two-week archive and shows a timer as you solve.

The Concise suits solvers who want a short British crossword with plain clues, and it is a good step before trying the Quick Cryptic.

How to play The Times Concise Crossword

Open the day's Times Concise on The Times crossword page or app.
Pick a clue; each is a plain definition with the answer length in brackets.
Type the answer into its squares.
Use crossing letters to help with the clues you do not know at once.
Finish when every square is filled and all across and down answers fit.
On Sundays, play the Sunday Times Concise instead.

Tips

Read the answer length carefully; British spellings and multi-word answers are common.
Start with short answers and fill-ins; their letters open up the longer entries.
A clue in the plural or past tense usually means the answer is too.
When the Concise feels easy, try the Times Quick Cryptic as the next step.