Deletion · Acrostic indicator
open
“open” is a deletion indicator in cryptic crosswords.
You remove part of a word — its head, tail, heart, or ends — before using what remains. Deletions use the imagery of loss, cutting, or being incomplete.
Depending on the clue, “open” can also act as an acrostic indicator.
- Clue types
- Deletion, Acrostic
- Forms
- opens, opened, opening
- Subtlety
- moderate
- Part of speech
- adjective, participle, verb
“Entrepreneur losing male company (8)”
Answer: BUSINESS
Definition: "company". "Entrepreneur" gives a word for a commercial type: BUSINESSMAN. "losing male" tells you to drop MAN (a male) from the end. BUSINESSMAN minus MAN leaves BUSINESS.
Related indicators
- abbreviate
- abridge
- after the first
- almost
- at first
- at last
- at the end
- at the end of
- at the outset
- at the start of
- backs of
- bare
- begin
- beginnings of
- behead
- borderless
Explore indicator types
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