Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Puzzles

Share hints and solve daily puzzles, including Wordle-style games and brain teasers, on the Puzzles board. You can also visit Mumsnet Puzzles for today's puzzles and challenges.

Original poster

Parseword - for those who would like to be better at cryptic crosswords!

407 replies

UnaOfStormhold · 15/03/2026 10:27

I am definitely not good at cryptic crosswords but feel this is both fun and a good way to get better

www.parseword.com/

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Twasasurprise · Today 12:42

Parseword #192
⏱️ 1m15s
💎 Perfect

Minute Cryptic - 8 August, 2026
"It's straight (unless round)" (3)
⚪️⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏋 2 hints – 1 over the community par (89,213 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

drspouse · Today 10:54

Minute Cryptic - 8 August, 2026
"It's straight (unless round)" (3)
⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🤝 1 hints – matched the community par (71,528 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

Parseword #192
⏱️ 8m21s
✅ 6 Assists
🐘 Secret Found
Maybe I should go back to Learn mode.

Minute Cryptic

Minute Cryptic is a free daily cryptic crossword clue. Solve today's puzzle, learn how cryptic clues work with free guided courses, and build your solving streak.

https://www.minutecryptic.com

Twasasurprise · Yesterday 10:24

Parseword #191
⏱️ 1m47s
⭐️ No Assists

Minute Cryptic - 7 August, 2026
"Difficult to hold onto love with her head elsewhere... she's a keeper" (7)
⚪️⚪️🟡⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏋 4 hints – 1 over the community par (64,305 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

drspouse · Yesterday 09:10

Parseword #190
⏱️ 2m53s
✅ 2 Assists

Minute Cryptic - 7 August, 2026
"Difficult to hold onto love with her head elsewhere... she's a keeper" (7)
⚪️⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 2 hints – 1 under the community par (55,850 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

I used an anagram solver on the Minute Cryptic word but I got the two substitutions by myself.

Today's the day of the week I usually try the Times Quick Cryptic.

Minute Cryptic

Minute Cryptic is a free daily cryptic crossword clue. Solve today's puzzle, learn how cryptic clues work with free guided courses, and build your solving streak.

https://www.minutecryptic.com

Willow12345 · Yesterday 09:04

Parseword #191
⏱️ 1m8s
✅ 1 Assist
🥚 Learn Mode

Willow12345 · Yesterday 09:01

Minute Cryptic - 7 August, 2026
"Difficult to hold onto love with her head elsewhere... she's a keeper" (7)
⚪️⚪️⚪️🟡🟡🟡🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏋 6 hints – 3 over the community par (53,853 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

I found that one hard

Minute Cryptic

Minute Cryptic is a free daily cryptic crossword clue. Solve today's puzzle, learn how cryptic clues work with free guided courses, and build your solving streak.

https://www.minutecryptic.com

Willow12345 · Yesterday 08:57

Parseword #190
⏱️ 1m27s
✅ 2 Assists
📰 Secret Found
🥚 Learn Mode

Midlifeshenanigans · 06/08/2026 18:52

Parseword #190
⏱️ 1m16s
⭐️ No Assists

Twasasurprise · 06/08/2026 10:01

Parseword #190
⚡️ 49s
💎 Perfect

Minute Cryptic - 6 August, 2026
"Soulless, gruesome complex!" (6)
⚪️⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🤝 2 hints – matched the community par (73,095 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

Willow12345 · 06/08/2026 08:30

Parseword #189
⚡️ 55s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

Twasasurprise · 05/08/2026 11:19

Parseword #189
⚡️ 1m0s
💎 Perfect

Minute Cryptic - 5 August, 2026
"Big fans of bananas eat "boring grapes"" (5,4)
⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 1 hints – 1 under the community par (79,903 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

Midlifeshenanigans · 04/08/2026 13:30

Parseword #188
⏱️ 1m34s
💎 Perfect
🎭 Secret Found

drspouse · 04/08/2026 11:36

Twasasurprise · 04/08/2026 11:35

Have you definitely got the right letter? I initially was using the letter for 50 rather 500😆.

Edit. Cross-post.

Edited

I was doing 100 Blush

Twasasurprise · 04/08/2026 11:35

Have you definitely got the right letter? I initially was using the letter for 50 rather 500😆.

Edit. Cross-post.

drspouse · 04/08/2026 11:35

OK now I feel very daft - I had the wrong number-letter. Gah. Better get the DCs to teach me the correct substitutions. Writing today off as a failure.

drspouse · 04/08/2026 11:30

Nope, I've tried the number-letter and every possible combo of three more letters... aargh.

drspouse · 04/08/2026 11:25

I did get the numbers for letters and I think I'm looking for the 3 other letters backwards in another word but I'm struggling with the other letters, which ones and in which order!
I may have to try the (IMO cheating) anagram solver app I have.

Twasasurprise · 04/08/2026 11:01

drspouse · 04/08/2026 09:49

Parseword #188
⏱️ 6m16s
✅ 6 Assists

Really bad at this one and totally stuck on Minute Cryptic as well!
Any tips @Twasasurprise?

I wish I had tips. I often just click random combinations of words and hope something jumps out at me...

It leads me down the wrong route too. I remember one the other day about an Army character. I was convinced it was Colonel as I had CO. Eventually, thanks to Minute Cryptic, I spotted there was a reversal clue and it became OC for 🐙 .

That's why I appreciate Minute Cryptic; I'm now learning how to actually do it.

My best tip for today, hopefully without giving it away, is remembering how numbers are often used to represent a letter or letters. Once I had that, I could spot the rest of the word from the other clues.

Good luck!

drspouse · 04/08/2026 09:49

Parseword #188
⏱️ 6m16s
✅ 6 Assists

Really bad at this one and totally stuck on Minute Cryptic as well!
Any tips @Twasasurprise?

Willow12345 · 04/08/2026 09:38

Parseword #188
⏱️ 2m49s
✅ 6 Assists
🥚 Learn Mode

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of Parseword - struggled with that (& then realised it was obvious 😊)

Twasasurprise · 04/08/2026 09:18

Parseword #188
⚡️ 18s
💎 Perfect

Minute Cryptic - 4 August, 2026
"Halfway across Europe, backpacking 500 miles from Nice?" (4)
⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 1 hints – 1 under the community par (64,895 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

Midlifeshenanigans · 03/08/2026 16:40

Parseword #187
⚡️ 33s
💎 Perfect

Willow12345 · 03/08/2026 11:42

Minute Cryptic - 3 August, 2026
"Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock" (4)
🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 0 hints – 1 under the community par (97,665 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

Minute Cryptic

Minute Cryptic is a free daily cryptic crossword clue. Solve today's puzzle, learn how cryptic clues work with free guided courses, and build your solving streak.

https://www.minutecryptic.com

Willow12345 · 03/08/2026 11:41

Parseword #187
⚡️ 21s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

easier today, thank goodness

Twasasurprise · 03/08/2026 09:49

Parseword #187
⚡️ 17s
💎 Perfect

Minute Cryptic - 3 August, 2026
"Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock" (4)
🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 0 hints – 1 under the community par (82,368 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share