Special, Sunday 01 Feb 2026, Veeyares

Three answers per commenter till 1 PM (Annotations compulsory) 

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Enjoy.

The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 41, Sunday 01 Feb 2026, Incognito

ACROSS

8   Crazy about one female employee (4) MAID {MA{1}D}

9   Dress, with love, for actress (5) GARBO {GARB}{O}

10 Setter returns American birds (4) EMUS {ME<=}{US}

11 Bird follows Indian Navy trainee (6) INTERN {TERN}<=>{IN}

12 Find yeti running and recognise (8) IDENTIFY* 

13 Guess site team is confused (8) ESTIMATE* 

15 Insect from centre of apple covered by torn shirt (6) THRIPS {THRI{apPle}S*}

17 Butter spread around tip of pipe in lab equipment (7) BURETTE {BUTTER}* over {pipE}

19 Very active police department returns and captures many going back (7) DYNAMIC {CID<=} over {MANY<=}

22 Shed mad rage after pocketing silver (6) GARAGE {GAR{AG}E*} 

24 Prepare to shoot reel about male bird (8) COCKEREL {COCK}{REEL*}

26 Perfect female having no rules (8) FLAWLESS {F}{LAWLESS}

28 Can't Arjuna bleed to some extent? (6) UNABLE [T]

30 Unrestrained party may be gory (4) ORGY* 

31 What volcanoes may do, shaking Peru at end of night? (5) ERUPT {PERU*}{n..hT}

32 Dash during plane landing (4) ELAN [T]

DOWN

1   Threaten conflict is accompanied by destruction in the end (4) WARN {WAR}{d...oN}

2   Damaged sieve had sticky substance (8) ADHESIVE* 

3   Time at National Defence Academy for things to be considered in meeting (6) AGENDA {AGE}{NDA}

4   Went round old ring leader and sank teeth into Edward (7) ORBITED {O}{Ring}{BIT}{ED}

5   City group of witches attempt (8) COVENTRY {COVEN}{TRY}

6   Superior gambler (6) BETTER [DD]

7   Polish aficionado in the nude (4) BUFF [MD]

14 Puts up a domed hemispherical structure (5) STUPA {PUTS<=}{A}

16 First rate set up (5) PRIME [DD]

18 Moved unsteadily from Peg at beginning of the estate road with editor (8) TEETERED {TEE}{The}{Es...e}{Road}{ED}

20 Means "Asserts about time elapsed from birth" (8) AVERAGES {AVER{AGE}S}

21 Mimes "Cats" (4,3) ACTS OUT {CATS}* [RA]

23 Say, "Law is changed for all times" (6) ALWAYS* 

25 Makes a tally of noblemen (6) COUNTS [DD]

27 Bird nesting in Kolar, Karnataka (4) LARK [T]

29 Guide metal wire (4) LEAD [DD]

Reference List

Female = F, Old = O, Edward = ED, Peg = TEE, Editor = ED