Minute Cryptic October 22 2026 Answer

The Thursday Minute Cryptic is a single cryptic clue you can solve in about a minute. Read the clue, take the hints one at a time, and reveal the answer with the full wordplay explained.

PAR2
AVERAGE3
LETTERS5
SETTERMember: Rusty Lee
THE CLUESPOILERS HIDDEN

“Donation boxes are said to be a scam (5)”

HINTS, ONE AT A TIME

This clue's indicators are 'boxes' and 'said'. One is a containing indicator, telling us to pack some fodder inside other fodder. The other is a homophone indicator, telling us to consider how some neighbouring fodder sounds and replace it with its soundalike.

This clue's fodder is 'Donation' and 'are'. We'll need to find substitutes for both of these and use them to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicators.

Our definition here is 'a scam', and our answer will be another word for that.

THE ANSWER
GRIFT
Homophone

Definition: a scam

This clue's fodder is 'Donation' and 'are'. We'll need to find substitutes for both of these and use them to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicators.

Our definition here is 'a scam', and our answer will be another word for that.

Watch the official explainer video →

See the dictionary entry for grift →

Checked against the official Minute Cryptic solution
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