Charade Cryptic Clues — 131 Examples with Answers

How Charade Clues Work

Charade clues (also called "build-up" or "assembly" clues) construct the answer by placing word parts end-to-end, much like the parlour game of charades. Each segment of the answer is clued separately, and you combine them in order to get the full answer.

For example, a clue might break a six-letter answer into a three-letter word followed by another three-letter word, with each half clued by a mini-definition or abbreviation. Indicators like "follows," "after," "with," or simply juxtaposition signal that parts should be joined together.

To solve a charade clue, look for multiple short definitions or abbreviations sitting next to each other in the wordplay. Try splitting the answer length into plausible segments and see if each segment can be clued by a corresponding part of the clue. Charade clues are very common and often combine with other types such as reversals or abbreviations.

Learn about all cryptic clue types →

Common Charade Indicators

These indicator words frequently appear in charade clues. Learning to spot them will help you identify this clue type quickly.

together (63) combined (63) with (3) and (2) head of (1)

Jan 31, 2026 Easy

"Star and fish together (8)"

Jan 30, 2026 Easy

"Moon and light combined (9)"

Jan 29, 2026 Easy

"Head and light together (9)"

Jan 28, 2026 Easy

"Play and ground combined (10)"

Jan 27, 2026 Easy

"Sail and boat together (8)"

Jan 26, 2026 Easy

"Key and board combined (8)"

Jan 25, 2026 Easy

"Snow and man together (7)"

Jan 24, 2026 Easy

"Cup and cake combined (7)"

Jan 23, 2026 Easy

"Book and case together (8)"

Jan 22, 2026 Easy

"Fire and place combined (9)"

Jan 21, 2026 Easy

"Water and fall together (9)"

Jan 20, 2026 Easy

"Base and ball combined (8)"

Jan 19, 2026 Easy

"Foot and ball together (8)"

Jan 18, 2026 Easy

"Rain and bow combined (7)"

Jan 17, 2026 Easy

"Butter and fly together (9)"

Jan 16, 2026 Easy

"Pan and cake combined (7)"

Jan 15, 2026 Easy

"Cow and boy together (6)"

Jan 14, 2026 Medium

"Sun with flower makes seed (9)"

Jan 13, 2026 Medium

"Car and pet combined (6)"

Jan 12, 2026 Medium

"Sun and day together (6)"

Oct 15, 2025 Easy

"Support race with head of bend (5)"

Oct 13, 2025 Easy

"Under and stand combined (10)"

Oct 12, 2025 Easy

"Some and where together (9)"

Oct 11, 2025 Easy

"Some and thing combined (9)"

Oct 10, 2025 Easy

"Some and one together (7)"

Oct 9, 2025 Easy

"Shoe and lace combined (8)"

Oct 8, 2025 Easy

"River and side together (9)"

Oct 7, 2025 Medium

"Rat and tlesnake combined (11)"

Oct 6, 2025 Easy

"Rail and road together (8)"

Oct 5, 2025 Easy

"Play and ground combined (10)"

Oct 4, 2025 Easy

"Paper and back together (9)"

Oct 3, 2025 Easy

"Over and look combined (8)"

Oct 2, 2025 Easy

"Over and come together (8)"

Oct 1, 2025 Easy

"Out and look combined (7)"

Sep 30, 2025 Easy

"Out and come together (7)"

Sep 29, 2025 Medium

"None and the and less combined (12)"

Sep 28, 2025 Easy

"Night and mare together (9)"

Sep 27, 2025 Easy

"Neck and lace combined (8)"

Sep 26, 2025 Easy

"Mid and night together (8)"

Sep 25, 2025 Easy

"Lip and stick combined (8)"

Sep 24, 2025 Easy

"Light and ning together (9)"

Jul 15, 2025 Easy

"Life and time combined (8)"

Jul 14, 2025 Easy

"Lady and bug together (7)"

Jul 13, 2025 Easy

"Jelly and fish combined (9)"

Jul 12, 2025 Easy

"In and side together (6)"

Jul 11, 2025 Easy

"House and hold combined (9)"

Jul 5, 2025 Easy

"Horse and back together (9)"

Jul 4, 2025 Easy

"High and way combined (7)"

Jul 3, 2025 Easy

"Guard and ian together (8)"

Jul 2, 2025 Easy

"Green and house combined (10)"

Jul 1, 2025 Easy

"Grace and ful together (8)"

Jun 15, 2025 Easy

"Foot and step combined (8)"

Jun 14, 2025 Easy

"Fire and fly together (7)"

Jun 13, 2025 Easy

"Every and body combined (9)"

Jun 12, 2025 Easy

"Down and stairs together (10)"

Jun 11, 2025 Easy

"Check and point combined (10)"

Jun 10, 2025 Easy

"Break and fast together (9)"

Jun 9, 2025 Easy

"Basket and ball combined (10)"

Jun 8, 2025 Easy

"After and noon together (9)"

Jun 7, 2025 Easy

"Year and book combined (8)"

Jun 6, 2025 Easy

"Work and shop together (8)"

Jun 5, 2025 Easy

"With and out combined (7)"

Jun 4, 2025 Easy

"Wind and mill together (8)"

Jun 3, 2025 Easy

"Wild and life combined (8)"

Jun 2, 2025 Easy

"White and board together (10)"

Jun 1, 2025 Easy

"Week and end combined (7)"

May 31, 2025 Easy

"Water and melon together (10)"

May 30, 2025 Easy

"Watch and man combined (8)"

May 29, 2025 Easy

"Wash and room together (8)"

May 28, 2025 Easy

"Up and stairs combined (7)"

May 27, 2025 Easy

"Under and ground together (10)"

Mar 27, 2025 Easy

"Thunder and storm combined (12)"

Mar 26, 2025 Easy

"Sun and set together (6)"

Mar 25, 2025 Easy

"Sun and rise combined (7)"

Mar 24, 2025 Easy

"Some and body together (8)"

Mar 23, 2025 Easy

"Snow and ball combined (8)"

Mar 22, 2025 Easy

"Sky and scraper together (10)"

Mar 21, 2025 Easy

"Side and walk combined (8)"

Mar 20, 2025 Easy

"Sea and food together (7)"

Mar 19, 2025 Easy

"Sand and box combined (7)"

Mar 18, 2025 Easy

"Rain and coat together (8)"

Mar 17, 2025 Easy

"Pea and nut combined (6)"

Mar 16, 2025 Easy

"Pass and word together (8)"

Mar 15, 2025 Easy

"Over and night combined (9)"

Mar 14, 2025 Easy

"Out and side together (7)"

Mar 13, 2025 Easy

"Note and book combined (8)"

Mar 12, 2025 Easy

"News and paper together (9)"

Mar 11, 2025 Easy

"Moon and walk combined (8)"

Mar 10, 2025 Easy

"Mail and box together (7)"

Mar 9, 2025 Easy

"Light and house combined (10)"

Mar 8, 2025 Easy

"Land and mark together (8)"

Dec 17, 2024 Easy

"Ice and cream combined (8)"

Dec 16, 2024 Easy

"Home and work together (8)"

Dec 15, 2024 Easy

"Hair and cut combined (7)"

Dec 14, 2024 Easy

"Hand and bag together (7)"

Dec 13, 2024 Easy

"Grand and mother combined (11)"

Dec 12, 2024 Easy

"Gold and fish together (8)"

Dec 11, 2024 Easy

"Flash and light combined (10)"

Dec 10, 2024 Easy

"Fire and works together (9)"

Dec 9, 2024 Easy

"Finger and nail combined (10)"

Dec 8, 2024 Easy

"Eye and ball together (7)"

Dec 7, 2024 Easy

"Day and light combined (8)"

Dec 6, 2024 Easy

"Class and room together (9)"

Dec 5, 2024 Easy

"Black and board combined (10)"

Dec 4, 2024 Easy

"Birth and day together (8)"

Dec 3, 2024 Easy

"Bed and room combined (7)"

Dec 2, 2024 Easy

"Bath and room together (8)"

Dec 1, 2024 Easy

"Back and yard combined (8)"

Nov 30, 2024 Easy

"Any and body together (7)"

Nov 29, 2024 Easy

"Air and plane combined (8)"

Nov 28, 2024 Easy

"Door and bell together (8)"

Sep 8, 2024 Easy

"Star and fish together (8)"

Sep 7, 2024 Easy

"Moon and light combined (9)"

Sep 6, 2024 Easy

"Head and light together (9)"

Sep 5, 2024 Easy

"Play and ground combined (10)"

Sep 4, 2024 Easy

"Sail and boat together (8)"

Sep 3, 2024 Easy

"Key and board combined (8)"

Sep 2, 2024 Easy

"Snow and man together (7)"

Sep 1, 2024 Easy

"Cup and cake combined (7)"

Aug 31, 2024 Easy

"Book and case together (8)"

Aug 30, 2024 Easy

"Fire and place combined (9)"

Aug 29, 2024 Easy

"Water and fall together (9)"

Aug 28, 2024 Easy

"Base and ball combined (8)"

Aug 27, 2024 Easy

"Foot and ball together (8)"

Aug 26, 2024 Easy

"Rain and bow combined (7)"

Aug 25, 2024 Easy

"Butter and fly together (9)"

Aug 24, 2024 Easy

"Pan and cake combined (7)"

Aug 23, 2024 Easy

"Cow and boy together (6)"

Aug 22, 2024 Medium

"Sun with flower makes seed (9)"

Aug 21, 2024 Medium

"Car and pet combined (6)"

Aug 20, 2024 Medium

"Sun and day together (6)"

Other Clue Types

Anagram Container Deletion Double Definition Hidden Word Initial Letters Reversal Selection + Reversal + Charade

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How Charade Clues Work

Common Charade Indicators

All Charade Clues

Other Clue Types

Related Pages