Introduction

I know for most of you it’s summer, but here in Australia it’s WINTER.

Please write a standard cryptic clue and good luck!

EssBee

Submit your best cryptic clue for

WINTER

Voting open until midnight Tue 8 Jul 2025(UTC +00:00)

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39 entries

1

Season won by Bury (6)

Definition = 'season'. W ('won', the Korean currency) + INTER ('bury')

2

Net Zero essentially describes temperature when it's cold? (6)

WIN (z)ER(o) contains T

3

They’re occasionally pursuing success after a fall (6)

Def: after a fall. Alternate letters (occasionally) of ThEyRe after (pursuing) success (WIN)

4

Garbled wire about books that may describe Wonderland (6)

WIRE* about NT; def: "That may describe Wonderland"

5

Some snow in term like this? (6)

Hidden in snoW IN TERm

6

Season of decline not hot around the start of November (6)

WITHER minus H around N(ovember).

7

Scarecrow in terylene trousers which has icy air (6)

Hidden; def = which has icy air

8

In extreme cold extreme WiFi goes up, right, about tortoise-head European (6)

Winter = extreme cold, extreme WiFi = the ends of WiFi = wi, up = North, right = r, about t = head of tortoise and European = E

9

Window in Terra's passage? (6)

hidden &lit. (The "?" suggests def is poetic for "interval in Earth's orbit")

10

Could be seen regularly throughout Argentina, if we returned? (6)

&lit. Hidden in reversed, regular letters of "Argentina, if we"

11

Cheerless time period of Will's tale? (6)

dd. A cheerless time is a winter, and second 'period of Will's tale' is a reference to the Shakespeare play

12

Best half of bitter after Georgia's fall (6)

WIN (best) + TER (half of bitter) definition = after Georgia's(US) fall

13

One season with team in Milan (6)

Def: one season; W + INTER (Milan football team)

14

Complain on the phone about temperature at end of Summer's cold spell (6)

complain>whine on the phone(hom)>~WINE about(con) temperature>T at(+) end of Summer>R def cold spell

15

Season wife then lay down to rest (6)

W + INTER “season”

16

Rival leaves conversation after cycling for a year (6)

VIE(rival) subtracted from{leaves} cycling letters of INTERVIEW(conversation)

17

Season with trimmed minty herb (6)

Season = def; W[ith] + [m]INT[y] [h]ER[b] (trimmed)

18

Period largely following hot air's final departure? (6)

&lit. TER{m} (Period largely) after (following) WIN{d} (hot air - i.e. empty talk - with final letter departing)

19

Westbury's centre needs a space in time for ice skating? (6)

Lift and separate (centre needs a space) - W (West) + INTER (bury) | Def = time for ice skating?

20

Wife that is devouring books right when the nights get longer (6)

Def: When the nights get longer. W(ife) + IE devouring NT (books) + R(ight)

21

What follows fall of Starmer? Farage, triumphant, finally rising to victory (6)

([starme]R [farag]E [triumphan]T)< after ('to') WIN. Def. 'what follows fall'. (Down clue due to 'rising' as reversal indicator)

22

Season’s best shot removing lead from Novak and securing opening for Taylor (6)

Def = season; best shot = WINNER; removing lead from Novak = N; securing opening for Taylor = T

23

Missing "Focus" written off for the final quarter (6)

Def = the final quarter, Deleting the middle letter of WRItTEN*

24

Footballer's good to go for start of the season (6)

WIN(G->T)ER, with Good->T(he) | ”season"

25

Season some coleslaw in teriyaki (6)

hidden word (indicator - some) ; def - season

26

Dark days when the women's institute misplace rent (6)

WI + (RENT)* = Dark days

27

Women concerned with their periodically frigid days (6)

W (women) + IN (concerned with) + TER (alternating letters of 'their')

28

Who's first to bury Johnny? Edgar? (6)

W(ho) + INTER; def'n: Johnny? Edgar? (The musical Winter brothers)

29

Write excitedly about new season (6)

WRITE anagram (excitedly) going around N = Def.

30

Cold time, winery almost incorporated a bit of taste (6)

Def=Cold time// WINER(y) (almost) AROUND (incorporated) T (a bit of taste)= Winter

31

A quarter of women with it support shortening runs (6)

def [of] W + IN + TE(e) + R

32

After fall, smashed World Record time in ecstasy (6)

After fall = definition, smashed = anagram indicator, WR t in e = anagram fodder

33

When icy nights tarry equinox reveals beginnings of a regular spell (6)

Initial letters (*beginnings) of When Icy Nights Tarry Equinox Reveals = WINTER = a regular spell (definition)

34

Lay to rest on third of bowel movements by Vivaldi (6)

INTER (lay to rest) after (on) W (third of bowel) / def = “movements by Vivaldi”

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35

Knitwear lacking character, not a woolly for this season (6)

Anag. of NITWER (missing K/character and a)

36

From wampyre's crown, entomb the season of darkness (6)

"Wampyre's crown" = W, "entomb" = INTER, Def: "the season of darkness"

37

Wine keeps the reindeer’s nose fresh this time of year (6)

WIN(T)E + R(eindeer, nose). Def, fresh… (cold)

38

Time beset by horribly frequent spells of ice or snow? (6)

T~ beset by *I[c]E[o]R[s]N[o]W

39

When in north take extra rations because it is cold initially (6)

Initial letters of the first six words.