October 27, 2026Clue № 46
Cryptic clue for October 27, 2026
Screw — turn the key in the old lock(7)
Free charade cryptic crossword clue from Icqu Cryptic (7). Solve it with hints — the answer and full breakdown publish the next day, or the moment you solve it.
Answer & breakdown
Charade1
AnswerTURNKEY
2
DefinitionScrewat the front of the clue
3
Wordplayturn the key in the old lock
4
BuildTURN + KEY
Gaol corridor when the bolts still scrape. TURN plus KEY yields TURNKEY — screw, the warder in slang. Cold stone and a jangling ring cloak the charade as prison weather rather than a bare hardware dump.
How this charade cryptic clue works
Stick two or three synonyms together, end to end, to build the answer.
Bonus 3
1Own in personally sealed letter (8)Open →2Circle from tipsy pooh (4)Open →3Huge tank swallowing society (4)Open →Every daily clue gets a permanent page — browse them all in the Archive. This same clue also has a permanent page in the library at /p/8169.