Deletion Indicators
Words indicating the subtraction of the first letter (beheading), last letter (curtailment), or internal letters (gutting).
Verified Indicator Words (36)Alphabetical Lexicon
withoutlacking specified letters
headlessremove first letter
beheadedremove first letter
taillessremove last letter
curtailedcut short, remove last letter
endlessremove final letter
guttedremove internal letters
heartlessremove central letter(s)
emptiedremove everything between first and last
strippedremove outer or specified letters
sheddingdropping letters
losingsubtraction
missingabsent component
uncappedremove top/first letter
abandoneddiscarded letters
ignoringskipping letters
evacuatedemptied of interior
shortenedremove final letter
trimmededges shaved off
discountedreduced by specified letters
peeledremove outer layer/letters
clippedsnipped off at the edge
dockedshortened tail or end
prunedselect letters removed
shavedouter boundary cut away
cleared ofdeprived of certain letters
dischargingemitting or expelling letters
dismissedsent away, excluded
droppingletting fall away
excludingleaving out entirely
foregonefront letter sacrificed
forgottenomitted from clue
hollowedcenter carved out
lackingin absence of letters
minusmathematical deduction
unopenedlead letter sealed away
Frequently Asked Questions: Deletion Indicators
What is the role of an indicator in a deletion indicators clue?
An indicator is the operative directive in a cryptic crossword clue that alerts the solver to perform a specific manipulation. In deletion indicators, it signals that the solver should subtraction of the first letter (beheading), last letter (curtailment), or internal letters (gutting).
Where is the indicator located within the clue?
In fair Ximenean cryptic crosswords, the indicator typically sits immediately adjacent to the fodder (the letters or words it operates upon), positioned either directly before or directly after them.
Can an indicator also be part of the definition?
No. Except in rare & Lit. (all-in-one) clues, a word can never serve double duty as both an indicator and part of the straight definition.