Clue Type
Deletion Clues
A deletion clue asks you to remove one or more letters from a word to produce the answer. The indicator specifies which letters to drop — the first letter (beheadment), last letter (curtailment), or an interior letter.
How to identify deletion clues
Deletion indicators suggest loss, removal, or abbreviation. Words like 'headless', 'endless', 'losing', or 'without' tell you what to cut. The fodder is a word that becomes the answer after deletion.
Common indicators
losingwithoutmissingdroppedcuttrimmedshortenedheadlesstaillessendlesstoplesslosing headlosing tailcurtailed
Practice tips
1Determine which type of deletion is indicated: beheadment (first letter), curtailment (last letter), or internal deletion.
2'Headless' or 'topless' removes the first letter; 'endless' or 'tailless' removes the last.
3The fodder word is usually clued by a synonym somewhere in the clue.
4After deletion, check the remaining letters actually form a real word matching the definition.