Just a second to remove top? Doubtful

Archive answer — July 21, 2026

2 Down

Scroll down for the rest of the crossword answers

Clue explained

“IFFY” is the published 4-letter fill for 2 Down. Use the crossing letters in the grid below to verify how it fits.

Clue type:
Crossword fill

Guardian Cryptic Crossword

This clue’s Tuesday, July 21, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal or hide a letter.

Crossword solution grid

Select a square to hide or reveal its letter in the 15 by 15 crossword grid.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

14 clues
  1. 8Nick and Henry Bird
  2. 9Pink cattle pen? Not right!
  3. 10Articulated fruit is not fair
  4. 11Left and right wings of party turn back, collapsing into ruin
  5. 12Hair loss ultimately comes before anxiety
  6. 14Are fired (sacked), being thin
  7. 16Herald’s power decline
  8. 18Hearing of pub expedition, neighbours start off
  9. 21Panels damaged – try pitch
  10. 23Dialect reveals smooth love lives
  11. 24Kid’s rental bike fixed
  12. 26Bottle essential parts
  13. 27Crew strive to get leader replaced
  14. 28Shrewd US composer making records

Down

16 clues
  1. 1Tough comedian without name
  2. 2Just a second to remove top? DoubtfulIFFY
  3. 3A core island sun god
  4. 4Depend on getting in support for a music genre
  5. 5Wizard at foot of elder tree
  6. 6Fig, pear almost turn out to be the possible basis of fad diet
  7. 7Chestnut one replaced with ring for crop protection
  8. 13Drugs defence involving college that’s associated with Houdini
  9. 15Stand for election (ironic) and get through all the booze
  10. 17See 15
  11. 19Game of kiss and tell, perhaps, with time for Latin
  12. 20Poet’s wife and enforcer
  13. 22Twin drying aid, lidless
  14. 23Devout, bawdy and buccaneering
  15. 25Ram’s a laughing-stock
  16. 26Easy: massive return with little initially invested

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Every clue links to a dedicated answer page. Use the list below to scan the complete fill without opening the interactive board.

Across

  1. 8. Nick and Henry Bird

    Answer: HALFINCH

  2. 9. Pink cattle pen? Not right!

    Answer: CORAL

  3. 10. Articulated fruit is not fair

    Answer: UGLY

  4. 11. Left and right wings of party turn back, collapsing into ruin

    Answer: BANKRUPTCY

  5. 12. Hair loss ultimately comes before anxiety

    Answer: STRESS

  6. 14. Are fired (sacked), being thin

    Answer: RAREFIED

  7. 16. Herald’s power decline

    Answer: PRECEDE

  8. 18. Hearing of pub expedition, neighbours start off

    Answer: INQUEST

  9. 21. Panels damaged – try pitch

    Answer: TRIPTYCH

  10. 23. Dialect reveals smooth love lives

    Answer: PATOIS

  11. 24. Kid’s rental bike fixed

    Answer: ANKLEBITER

  12. 26. Bottle essential parts

    Answer: GUTS

  13. 27. Crew strive to get leader replaced

    Answer: EIGHT

  14. 28. Shrewd US composer making records

    Answer: ARCHIVES

Down

  1. 1. Tough comedian without name

    Answer: GANGSTER

  2. 2. Just a second to remove top? Doubtful

    Answer: IFFY

  3. 3. A core island sun god

    Answer: ANUBIS

  4. 4. Depend on getting in support for a music genre

    Answer: BHANGRA

  5. 5. Wizard at foot of elder tree

    Answer: ACER

  6. 6. Fig, pear almost turn out to be the possible basis of fad diet

    Answer: GRAPEFRUIT

  7. 7. Chestnut one replaced with ring for crop protection

    Answer: CLOCHE

  8. 13. Drugs defence involving college that’s associated with Houdini

    Answer: ESCAPOLOGY

  9. 15. Stand for election (ironic) and get through all the booze

    Answer: RUN

  10. 17. See 15

    Answer: DRY

  11. 19. Game of kiss and tell, perhaps, with time for Latin

    Answer: SKITTLES

  12. 20. Poet’s wife and enforcer

    Answer: WHITMAN

  13. 22. Twin drying aid, lidless

    Answer: RINGER

  14. 23. Devout, bawdy and buccaneering

    Answer: PIRACY

  15. 25. Ram’s a laughing-stock

    Answer: BUTT

  16. 26. Easy: massive return with little initially invested

    Answer: GLIB

The answer to “Just a second to remove top? Doubtful” in the Guardian Cryptic Crossword is IFFY — a 4-letter word. It appears in our available data for July 21, 2026 at 2-Down. Below you can reveal the fill one letter at a time, check the full puzzle, and open every related clue page.

“Just a second to remove top? Doubtful” answer

IFFY(4 letters)

Prefer a nudge first? Use the letter tiles above to hide and reveal individual characters, or use the focused grid to confirm the crossing letters.

Why does IFFY fit?

IFFY is the published 4-letter answer at 2-Down. The highlighted path in the puzzle shows exactly where the entry sits.

When else has “Just a second to remove top? Doubtful” appeared?

The same clue can return on another date, sometimes with a different fill. These are the matching appearances in the recent published records available through the Answers API.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Just a second to remove top? Doubtful”?

The answer is IFFY.

How many letters are in the answer?

4 letters: IFFY.

When did this clue appear?

It appears in the Guardian Cryptic Crossword for July 21, 2026 at 2-Down.

Can this clue have a different answer?

Yes. Crossword clues may be reused with a different fill depending on the grid. Recent matching appearances are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day’s answers?

Open the Guardian Cryptic answers page for July 21, 2026 for the full grid and every clue.

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