The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 65, Sunday 19 Jul 2026, Vidwn

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ACROSS

7   One who heralds President's entree regularly before start of rally (9) TRUMPETER {TRUMP}{EnTrEe}{Ra..y}

8   Uncertain European Union almost passed over (5) VAGUE {EU}{GAVe}<=

10 Office fire curtailed with water (6) BUREAU {BURn}{EAU}

11 Cold file reduced to a smaller size (8) LIFELESS {FILE*}{LESS}

12 Secret agents triggered raid during flight (6) MIDAIR {MI}{RAID*}

13 Old lover's wrong to threaten for money (6) EXTORT {EX}{TORT}

15 A legal officer, one not working for commission (7) APPOINT {A}{PP}{1+NOT}*

17 Counting system, one included by Chief Minister in contract (7) CECIMAL {DE{C{1}M}AL}

20 A person like Mother Teresa, left for India, with some inclination (6) ASLANT {A}{S(+l)A(-i)NT} As per clue the answer would be {A}{SA(+l-i)LNT}

22 Free commercial break (6) ADRIFT {AD}{RIFT}

25 Shoemakers are cold, greedy consumers, not good (8) COBBLERS {C}{gOBBLERS}

26 Fair type, could be artificial! (6) ITALIC {ITALIC+FAIR}*=ARTIFICIAL [CA]

27 Rupee's in right position of supremacy! (5) FIRST {FI{R'S}T} 

28 Bulimic's worried about slightly ungainly navel (9) UMBILICUS {BULIMICS}* over {Un...y}

DOWN

1   Seller importing river fish (5) TROUT {T{R}OUT}

2   Skin ailment epitomising, eschewing sin originally! (8) IMPETIGO EPITOMIsinG*

3   Crazy dame had us petrified! (6) MEDUSA {MED{US}A*} Semi&lit

4   State venture shipping European coal, after being excavated! (7) DECLARE {D{E}{CoaL}ARE}

5   Flyer's back to rent capsule (6) TABLET {BAT<=}{LET}

6   Extended as pure dot, possibly (9) OUTSPREAD*

9   Weak English fellow at bazaar (6) EFFETE {E}{F}{FETE}

14 A message by police internally, about Pope (9)  APOSTOLIC {A}{POST}{pOLICe}

16 Last girl's dwelling underground (6) NETHER {NET}{HER}

18 Indicriminate firing over bill demeaning one's status (5,3) INFRA DIG {FIRING}* over {AD}

19 Devil's most enthralled by reportedly exceptional mandarin (7) SATSUMA {SAT{(~some)SUM}An} Clue leads to {SATAn} in {(~some)SUM}

21 A masculine President's hunt (6) AMBUSH {A}{M}{BUSH}

23 Mostly growing grape in reduced form (6) RAISIN RAISINg

24 Temper of Shakira's ex! (5) PIQUE [DD]

Reference List

Water = EAU, Old = EX, Left = L, India = I, Commercial = AD, Cold = C, Good = G, Rupee = R, River = R, European = E, English = E, Fellow = F, Bill = AD, Masculine = M

No 14849, Saturday 18 July 2026, Afterdark

 ACROSS
1 Overlooking last XI (6) BESIDE {BE}{SIDE}
4 Actions that harm oneself ends after wife stops working( 3,5) OWN GOALS {GOALS}<=>{O{W}N}
10 Locks up a member and boys outside Rhode Island (9) IMPRISONS {I}{MP}{RI}{SONS}
11 Domain is free essentially, entered URL finally in the morning (5) REALM {fREe}{A{urL}M}
12 Doctor Lily not beginning to sound funny without emotion (5) DRILY {DR}{lILY}
13 Not very cold, excited vacationist expresses fullness (9) SATIATION {vAcTIONIST}*
14 Initially Phil Edmunds mishit; it's more irritating (7) PESKIER {Phil}{Edmunds}{SKIER}
16 Foretold bishop Oscar's daughter; escape first( 4) BODE {B}{O}{D}{Escape}
19 Father entering open house to have fish (4) OPAH {O}{PA}{H}

21 Chap's wearing jumper? No, it's the other way, at deserts (7) MAROONS MA{ROO}N'S
24 Coloured metal, copper with a bit of tungsten in it to add colour (9) TINCTURED {TIN}{C{Tungsten}U}{RED}
25 Chief Officer...(5) MAJOR [DD}
26...to crave for time to get some vacation ultimately (5) YEARN {YEAR}{vacatioN}
27 Approach of nice men is comical, retaining millions with some impunity (9) IMMINENCE {NICE MEN}* around {M}{Impunity}
28 Reorganises structure to identify people who are usually late?! (8) DELAYERS {DE-LAYERS}
29 Medico admitted one sibling for contraction of pupil (6) MIOSIS {M{I}O}{SIS}

DOWN
1Extravagant praises from bud's lip, but essentially spinning (8) BUILDUPS {BUDS LIPS bUt}*
2 Son, in a frenzy opts to buy pastry for the weepiest (8) SOPPIEST {S}+{PIE} in {OPTS}*
3 Glorify editor's comeback providing eulogy at close (5) DEIFY {ED<}{IF}{eulogY}
5 Clothes are left here at Washington quietly, but taken back later (7) WASHTUB {WA}{SH}{BUT<}
6 European medic stocks drug from plant (9) GERMANDER {GERMAN}{D{E}R}

7 Rampart in a war dismantled 50% near the ingress at the borders (6) ABATIS {A}{BATtle}{IngresS}
8 It's sin in Christianity to get spin regularly using money spending energy (6) SIMONY {SpIn}{MONeY}
9 Cat, say Tom ultimately reaches river range (6) MOUSER {toM}{OUSE}{R}
15 Powerlessness of a member leads to 0-10 consequence initially by day's end (9) IMPOTENCY {I}{MP}{O}{TEN}{Consequence}{daY}
17 Stock market index now does jiggery-pokery first to manipulate (3,5) DOW JONES {NOW DOES Jiggery-pokery}*
18 Supplanters at America control royal purse (8) USURPERS {US}{R PURSE}*

20 Husband demolishing front of wall for hound dog (7) HARRIER {H}bARRIER}

21 Communication devices for system on steamships essentially (6) MODEMS {MODE}{steaMShips}
22 Banned on street? Yes, by democrat (6) STAYED {ST}{AYE}{D}
23 Ultimate objective is a new Dell contraption (3-3) END-ALL {A N DELL}*
25 Guy having idli frequently in Indian city (5) MANDI {MAN}{iDlI}

REFERENCE LIST

Wife=W, Very=V, Cold=C, A=1=I, Member=MP, Rhode Island=RI, Morning=AM, Doctor=DR, Bishop=B, Oscar=O, Daughter=D, Father=Pa, Open House=OH, Copper=Cu, Millions=M, Medico =MO (Medical Officer), Son=S, Editor=Ed, Washington=WA, Drug=E (Ecstasy), Energy=E, Range=R, 0=O, Royal=R, Street=ST, New=N.