s Words Up? Cryptic Crossword Clue Deleted Letter Indicators
Q. Which bear is "smarter than the average bear"?

Cryptic Crossword Clue Indicators

7 Dropped / Deleted Letter(s) Indicators

E

evens out

N

not even
nothing odd

O

oddly lacking

R

regular losses

S

seconds out

W

without

72 Dropped / Deleted Head Letter(s) Indicators

A

after commencement
after the first
after the start

B

bareheaded
beginning to go
behead
beheaded
beheading
blow roof off
blowing top

C

cap off

D

decapitate
decapitated
depose leader
dismiss opener
don't start

E

except for leader

F

fail at first
fail to start
first cut
first off

G

guillotine

H

head away
head off
headless

I

ignore leader
initially down
initially going
initially lacking
initially rejected

L

lead away
leaderless
left wing lost
lift the lid
lose head
losing opener

M

missing the first
mouth off

N

need no introduction
needing no introduction
no opening
non-starter
not beginning
not commencing
not initially
not originally
not primarily
not starting

O

oust leader

P

pollard

R

refuse starter
remove lid
remove top

S

scratch head
scratch the head
shave head
skip preliminaries
start off
start to go
strike head
strike the head

T

tip off
top off
topless
topped
topping

U

uninitiated
unopened
unstarted

W

without opening
without origin
won't start

59 Dropped / Deleted Tail Letter(s) Indicators

A

abridged
almost

B

back off
backless
brief

C

clipped
curtail
curtailed
cut off
cut short

D

detail
detailed
dock
drop behind

E

early closing
endless

F

falling short
finish off
footloose
for the most part
frayed

I

incomplete
inconclusive
interminable

K

kicking heels

L

lacking finish
limited

M

manx
missing the last
most
mostly

N

nearly
no end
non stop
not completely
not entirely
not fully
not quite
not wholly

O

outlast

R

reduced
remove cap
right wing lost

S

sawn-off
scratch bottom
scrub back
short
shortening
snub
spineless

T

tailless
trim

U

ultimately wanting
unending
unfinished

V

virtually

W

want closure
wipe bottom
without end

62 Dropped / Deleted Ends Indicators

A

avoid extremes

B

banks withdraw
bare
bilateral erosion
bones

C

case dismissed
centre
clipped
content to be left
contents
core

D

discover
disrobe

E

edges away
ends cut off
essence
essentially
extremely deficient

F

filling

G

guts

H

heart
heartily

I

innards
insides
interior
interminable
internal parts

L

lacking wings
limitless
losing margins

M

mid
middle

N

naked
no frills
no margins
not extreme
nucleus
nude

O

off limits
out of bounds

P

peel

R

remove clothes
remove outer layers

S

shed skin
shelled
sides splitting
skinned
stomach
stripped
stuffing

T

take off coat
trimmed

U

unconfined
uncover
undressed
unlimited
unrestricted
unwrap

W

wingless
wings off
without cover
without limits

70 Dropped / Deleted Middle Indicators

A

after vacation

B

banks
borders
boundaries

C

case
coat
content to leave
core
cored
covering
crusts
curtains

D

discontented
disembowelled
disheartened

E

edges
emptied
empty
ends
evacuate
evacuated
eviscerate
excavate
exterior
extreme
extreme elements

F

filleted
flanks
fringes

G

gutless
gutted

H

half-hearted
heartless
hollow

I

in extremis
inside out

L

left and right
less stuffing
limits
lips
lose heart
losing heart

M

marginal
margins

O

outlying
outside
outsiders
outskirts

P

peel
periphery
pitted

R

remove filling
rim
rind

S

shell
shoulders
sides
skin
skirts
stuffing knocked out
surface

T

tips

U

uncentered

V

vacant
vacation
vacuous
vacuum
void

W

walls
wings

14 Dropped / Deleted Specific Letters (X deleted or delete X) Indicators

C

cutting

E

erased

G

goes out of

L

leaves

M

missing

N

no
not
not visible

R

removed

S

short of
struck

T

taking
to be unloaded

W

without
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