Slender shiny sharpened steel strikers!? (6) Minute Cryptic Crossword Clue
Searching for the answer to “Slender shiny sharpened steel strikers!? (6)” in today’s Minute Cryptic Crossword? Look no further! We’ve provided the solution to help you finish the puzzle and make the most of your crossword-solving experience.
Hints
This is an &lit clue, which means the whole clue is both the definition and the wordplay. So, here, our answer will be a word that matches our clue’s description of ‘Slender shiny sharpened steel strikers’.
The wordplay in this clue isn’t particularly traditional - we’re not looking for an anagram or a deletion, for example. But, setting aside specific techniques, much of solving cryptics is about pattern recognition, and there is a pattern here. If we find what these words have in common, we might find our answer.
This clue has an alternate: Soldier's Scimitar, Samurai's Steel, Swashbuckler's Sabre!?. This alternate has the same answer as our main clue, and is just a different take on the clue!
The answer to "Slender shiny sharpened steel strikers!? (6)" is SWORDS.
The solution is SWORDS (6). The whole clue works as an &lit/def - “slender, shiny, sharpened steel” vividly describes blades, and “strikers!?” (with the question-marked emphasis) points to things that strike - swords both are sharpened steel and strike in combat. The punctuation flags the playful double reading (objects that strike vs. people who strike), so the single six-letter noun SWORDS fits perfectly.
Minute Cryptic
A Minute Cryptic is a type of crossword puzzle that focuses on very short, often tricky clues that require quick and sharp thinking. These puzzles typically feature concise clues that challenge solvers to think outside the box and consider alternative meanings, wordplay, or indirect references.
Unlike traditional cryptic clues, which may have more detailed explanations, Minute Cryptics are designed to be solved in a very short amount of time, often making them ideal for quick bursts of mental exercise. They tend to require both a good understanding of wordplay and a high level of familiarity with common crossword conventions, but their brevity makes them a fun and engaging challenge for puzzle enthusiasts.
