Clue contest No 34
Wed 1 Oct 2025, set byDMC
Introduction
It’s Harvest Festival time so this month’s word is HARVEST. Good luck everyone!
Submit your best cryptic clue for
HARVEST
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38 entries
Gathering in hotel accepted others around five (7)
Def is Gathering. H, A, R{V}EST
Against squeezing out core of most unyielding fruits (7)
V replacing the middle letter of HAR(d)EST = Definition
Hear cooking preserves very good man's produce (7)
Anagram (cooking) of HEAR containing (preserves, in sense keeps/retains) V(ery) + ST (good man) = produce
High camper inside eats bananas and gathered others? (7)
H + RV in *EATS extended def = gathered others?
Taking in undershirt after originally hinting at rotundness (7)
VEST after H A R, definition "Taking in"
In broken earths plant five fruits (7)
Put V into anagram of earths. Fruits is the definition
Gather and save bits of the ripest, heartiest nuts (7)
Def = "gather"; (SAVE + first letters of "the ripest, heartiest")*
He cropped Strava runs and combined output (7)
HE+STRAV(a)* (runs), 'output that has been combined'
Yield down by 99% essentially, most perplexing (7)
"Yield" | D (500) reduced by 99% to V (5) in the middle of HAR(D)EST
Gathering of heads vs heart descends into chaos (7)
def (gathering of (grain) heads) = VSHEART* (descends into chaos)
Vet has to undertake, in essence, grim reaper's work (7)
(VETHAS + ('to') [unde]R[take])* (Anagrind: 'grim', Def.: 'reaper's work')
Gather in underwear after no end to suffering (7)
def gather in underwear>VEST after(jux) no end to(end del) suffering>HAR[m]
Make an issue of bottomless underwear revealing a moon (7)
Make an issue of (bottomless) = HAR(p). Underwear = VEST ... (revealing) = a moon
At end of the growing season, busy earthmovers deliver this and more (7)
Compound (or subtraction?) anagram (busy) EARTHMOVERS* = HARVEST MORE; all-in-one clue as def
Bring in Heidi initially to restrict funding of cycling (7)
Def: bring in. H(eidi) + STARVE (to restrict funding of) -> ARVEST (cycling)
Bounty hunter’s first rifle pressed against Kevlar (7)
“bounty” / H (hunter’s first) + AR (rifle) next to (pressed against) VEST (Kevlar)
The product of turning earth with the tops of spades - vegetables? (7)
(EARTHS[pades]V[egetables])*turning / &lit
Crop top crowned by uncovered piercing (7)
Down clue. VEST(top) below (s)HAR(p) (uncovered piercing). Def crop
As a hybrid, the variety succeeded - producing this! (7)
Anag. ('as a hybrid') of THE + VAR ('variety') + S ('succeeded') = defn. ('this'). Semi &littish
Remove brown underwear after voiding bowels in kecks (7)
[C]HAR+VEST = remove (as per Chambers). Bowels = innermost part of anything (Chambers). Apologies.
Gather fruit? (7)
DD
Starve to death after going without, essentially (7)
&lit (STARVE)* - to death - after witHout (essentially)
Earth's spoils, including spot of veg? (7)
Anag of EARTHS + V; &lit
Take and possess stone without right (7)
HAVE + ST outside R; def is take (as in amount taken in)
Crop tops from Harrods aren’t raunchy underwear (7)
Def crop; first letters H A R + VEST
Crop a crop? (7)
Cryptic definition. To cut a cultivated plant.
Return fiery aftershaves. NOT SAFE! (7)
Def = Return, AFTERSHAVES* - safe
Return Harry's half removed underwear (7)
Def. RETURN = Harry's half removed (HAR) + Underwear (VEST)
Hoe and reap valuable earlier sown turnip tops (7)
First letters &lit
Gather the rich mingle with right-wingers (7)
Def: Gather. HA(R)VES(T) - ‘HAVES’ (the rich) x R[igh]T
Grim reaper? (7)
CD - Reference to 'Grim' as a famous crop type in the 1800s!
Reap negative consequences shortly over getting naked by street (7)
HARVEST ("Reap") = HAR(m) [negative consequences shortly] + (o)VE(r) [over getting naked] + ST [street]
Skinless shark perplexed vet's gathering (7)
Skinless s(HAR)k + anagram vets (VEST) = Def.
H.R. stave off cull (7)
HRSTAVE (fodder) off (anagrind) cull (def)
Jiggle her vast fruits (7)
Jiggle* HER VAST fruits (definition)
Young singer's "vintage" record collection? (7)
Two definitions: 1972 Neil Young album & collection
Could be Weinstein detailed sources of sex tape collection (7)
HARVE{y} (detailed) + first letters S{ex}T{ape} DEF: collection
Gather that naked king put on underwear (7)
defintion - gather. tHAt + R on VEST (as a down entry)