Not the first to risk travel at a leisurely pace

Archive answer — August 17, 2026

9 Across

Scroll down for the rest of the crossword answers

Clue explained

“AMBLE” is the published 5-letter fill for 9 Across. Use the crossing letters in the grid below to verify how it fits.

Clue type:
Crossword fill

Guardian Cryptic Crossword

This clue’s Monday, August 17, 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

15 clues
  1. 9Not the first to risk travel at a leisurely paceAMBLE
  2. 10Rocks falling and getting into dell is ruinous
  3. 11Old nip of rum I drink too, without finishing first shots
  4. 12Space put by, but oddly nothing inside
  5. 13Turned and ran away, clutching Zippo but dropping case
  6. 15Part in test regarding the way planets travel
  7. 17Snow leopard jumps without limits
  8. 18Harsh fightback
  9. 20Central pub evacuated earlier
  10. 22Be taken the wrong way during rendezvous, creating arguments
  11. 25Naturally produced grain ruined through company backtracking
  12. 26Pitman’s system finally starts to introduce new, easy recording
  13. 27Devout priest, German, in South American city with us
  14. 30Commanding Officer had info about who’s hunting whom?
  15. 31Constructed crowns of bronze using intricate latticework techniques

Down

18 clues
  1. 1Mexican snack stack – hot, without any wrappers
  2. 2Forgetfulness leads to open bolts – then four being eaten by wild cat
  3. 3Still one imagined terrifying creature from the Himalayas
  4. 4Sister Edna eloped, heading north, carrying flowering plant
  5. 5In France a supermarket sacking head to become international organisation
  6. 6Absolute chaos, upset jewellery – piecing it all together?
  7. 7Floppy elephant with no stuffing for clingy type
  8. 8Tax bill came at last – virtually cleared out
  9. 13Scourge of old?
  10. 14Our copter’s flying around island territory
  11. 16Inadvertently Rickrolled – but only part of the words!
  12. 19An odd owl disturbed some trees
  13. 21Safe ‘n’ sound? Two extinct every second!
  14. 23Welsh city’s non-governmental organisation gathered by bar
  15. 24Flow of vapour engulfing opening of railway
  16. 26Greek character with very loud furry garment
  17. 28Desert old boy, captured by US soldier
  18. 29Place, place and, finally, place

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. 9. Not the first to risk travel at a leisurely pace

    Answer: AMBLE

  2. 10. Rocks falling and getting into dell is ruinous

    Answer: LANDSLIDE

  3. 11. Old nip of rum I drink too, without finishing first shots

    Answer: ORIGINALS

  4. 12. Space put by, but oddly nothing inside

    Answer: EMPTY

  5. 13. Turned and ran away, clutching Zippo but dropping case

    Answer: FLIPPED

  6. 15. Part in test regarding the way planets travel

    Answer: ORBITAL

  7. 17. Snow leopard jumps without limits

    Answer: OUNCE

  8. 18. Harsh fightback

    Answer: RAW

  9. 20. Central pub evacuated earlier

    Answer: INNER

  10. 22. Be taken the wrong way during rendezvous, creating arguments

    Answer: DEBATES

  11. 25. Naturally produced grain ruined through company backtracking

    Answer: ORGANIC

  12. 26. Pitman’s system finally starts to introduce new, easy recording

    Answer: MINER

  13. 27. Devout priest, German, in South American city with us

    Answer: RELIGIOUS

  14. 30. Commanding Officer had info about who’s hunting whom?

    Answer: FOODCHAIN

  15. 31. Constructed crowns of bronze using intricate latticework techniques

    Answer: BUILT

Down

  1. 1. Mexican snack stack – hot, without any wrappers

    Answer: TACO

  2. 2. Forgetfulness leads to open bolts – then four being eaten by wild cat

    Answer: OBLIVION

  3. 3. Still one imagined terrifying creature from the Himalayas

    Answer: YETI

  4. 4. Sister Edna eloped, heading north, carrying flowering plant

    Answer: OLEANDER

  5. 5. In France a supermarket sacking head to become international organisation

    Answer: UNESCO

  6. 6. Absolute chaos, upset jewellery – piecing it all together?

    Answer: ASSEMBLING

  7. 7. Floppy elephant with no stuffing for clingy type

    Answer: LIMPET

  8. 8. Tax bill came at last – virtually cleared out

    Answer: LEVY

  9. 13. Scourge of old?

    Answer: FLOOD

  10. 14. Our copter’s flying around island territory

    Answer: PUERTORICO

  11. 16. Inadvertently Rickrolled – but only part of the words!

    Answer: LYRIC

  12. 19. An odd owl disturbed some trees

    Answer: WOODLAND

  13. 21. Safe ‘n’ sound? Two extinct every second!

    Answer: NONTOXIC

  14. 23. Welsh city’s non-governmental organisation gathered by bar

    Answer: BANGOR

  15. 24. Flow of vapour engulfing opening of railway

    Answer: STREAM

  16. 26. Greek character with very loud furry garment

    Answer: MUFF

  17. 28. Desert old boy, captured by US soldier

    Answer: GOBI

  18. 29. Place, place and, finally, place

    Answer: SITE

The answer to “Not the first to risk travel at a leisurely pace” in the Guardian Cryptic Crossword is AMBLE — a 5-letter word. It appears in our available data for August 17, 2026 at 9-Across. Below you can reveal the fill one letter at a time, check the full puzzle, and open every related clue page.

“Not the first to risk travel at a leisurely pace” answer

AMBLE(5 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 AMBLE fit?

AMBLE is the published 5-letter answer at 9-Across. The highlighted path in the puzzle shows exactly where the entry sits.

When else has “Not the first to risk travel at a leisurely pace” 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 “Not the first to risk travel at a leisurely pace”?

The answer is AMBLE.

How many letters are in the answer?

5 letters: AMBLE.

When did this clue appear?

It appears in the Guardian Cryptic Crossword for August 17, 2026 at 9-Across.

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 August 17, 2026 for the full grid and every clue.

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