Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner

Latest answer — August 26, 2026

23 Down

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Clue explained

H is the standard abbreviation for hearts, L means left, and L is “entertained by” (inserted into) AVA, as in actress Ava Gardner: H + A(L)VA. HALVA is the Turkish sweet defined by the clue.

Clue type:
Definition
Portrait of American actress Ava Gardner

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, August 26, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

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

Across

  1. 1Military jumpers for destocking, original shade
  2. 5Dull periods periodically rotating US spies
  3. 9Study gazing at the stars?
  4. 10One having a small bite here in Mexico?
  5. 11Firm undertaking involving mass trade-off
  6. 12Temporary setback as Mike bales out of small airship
  7. 14Painter & decorator getting nice Hello! mag spread
  8. 18His job is to sort out the classroom
  9. 21Crazy to write off British force
  10. 22Something from the Savoy Hotel, a grip perhaps
  11. 25Swiss city hosting today's Facebook lead?
  12. 26Boredom leads to extremely nasty nationalists urging insurrection
  13. 27Where toy manufacturer is dependent on elf 'n' safety at work?
  14. 28Pardon means roughly twenty to be discharged

Down

  1. 1Rodents beneath edges of plateau rock
  2. 2Note Russian jet circling on eastern course
  3. 3Delightful guest ignoring tech boss
  4. 4Temporary vicar Old Jock Hume entirely stripped off
  5. 5Maritime campaigner Samuel, originator of sea pumps
  6. 6Work over – drink up!
  7. 7Lad who went for a dip feeling sick, beset by pains
  8. 8Tory eating meat pie without base – excellent!
  9. 13Angry Lebanon regularly denying former queen
  10. 15Clumsy, poor actor is deft when tipsy
  11. 16City in Turkmenistan bulldozed
  12. 17Little Tom's out of bed, which is an encouraging sign
  13. 19Game served up in Moonrakers Inn, Eton
  14. 20National Insurance collected in tax year is an extravagance
  15. 23Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner
  16. 24Daughter in law initially goes off puzzle book

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Military jumpers for destocking, original shade — Answer: PARASOL. Hint: Combine a military jumper with an abbreviation for an original shade. 🎨
  2. 5. Dull periods periodically rotating US spies — Answer: PROSAIC. Hint: Look for a word meaning dull, assembled from rotating snippets of “periods” and “US spies.” 🕵️
  3. 9. Study gazing at the stars? — Answer: MUGUP. Hint: This informal verb means study, with a playful celestial-reading surface. 🌟
  4. 10. One having a small bite here in Mexico? — Answer: CHIHUAHUA. Hint: Think of a famously tiny Mexican dog whose name fits the nippy definition. 🐶
  5. 11. Firm undertaking involving mass trade-off — Answer: COMPROMISE. Hint: A negotiated settlement is suggested by a business undertaking involving a mass abbreviation. 🤝
  6. 12. Temporary setback as Mike bales out of small airship — Answer: BLIP. Hint: Remove the radio call sign for Mike from a small dirigible to get a brief setback. 🎈
  7. 14. Painter & decorator getting nice Hello! mag spread — Answer: MICHELANGELO. Hint: An Italian Renaissance artist emerges when a greeting magazine is thoroughly rearranged. 🖌️
  8. 18. His job is to sort out the classroom — Answer: SCHOOLMASTER. Hint: The definition points to someone responsible for managing a classroom. 🏫
  9. 21. Crazy to write off British force — Answer: ARMY. Hint: The definition is a British military force, while the wordplay involves “crazy” and writing something off. 🎖️
  10. 22. Something from the Savoy Hotel, a grip perhaps — Answer: LIGHTOPERA. Hint: Think of the theatrical genre associated with Gilbert and Sullivan’s Savoy productions. 🎭
  11. 25. Swiss city hosting today's Facebook lead? — Answer: BASEMETAL. Hint: A Swiss city provides the opening, while the definition points to a common industrial substance. 🏭
  12. 26. Boredom leads to extremely nasty nationalists urging insurrection — Answer: ENNUI. Hint: The definition is boredom; collect the outermost letters of the final words in the clue. 😴
  13. 27. Where toy manufacturer is dependent on elf 'n' safety at work? — Answer: LAPLAND. Hint: Look for the snowy home of toy-makers, with the clue’s “elf ’n’ safety” supplying the playful wordplay. ❄️
  14. 28. Pardon means roughly twenty to be discharged — Answer: AMNESTY. Hint: A word for pardon is built from a rough version of “means” and part of “twenty.” 🕊️

Down

  1. 1. Rodents beneath edges of plateau rock — Answer: PUMICE. Hint: Place rodents under the outer letters of “plateau” to uncover the rock. 🪨
  2. 2. Note Russian jet circling on eastern course — Answer: REGIME. Hint: Combine a solfège note with a Russian jet rearranged around the abbreviation for eastern. ✈️
  3. 3. Delightful guest ignoring tech boss — Answer: SUPERVISOR. Hint: A compliment joins a guest after a familiar technology abbreviation is removed. 💼
  4. 4. Temporary vicar Old Jock Hume entirely stripped off — Answer: LOCUM. Hint: A temporary replacement cleric is the definition, with the wordplay hidden inside the latter part of the clue. ⛪
  5. 5. Maritime campaigner Samuel, originator of sea pumps — Answer: PLIMSOLLS. Hint: This honors Samuel, the maritime reformer associated with a famous ship-safety marking. ⚓
  6. 6. Work over – drink up! — Answer: OPUS. Hint: For “work,” reverse a verb meaning take a sip after the usual abbreviation for over. 🥤
  7. 7. Lad who went for a dip feeling sick, beset by pains — Answer: ACHILLES. Hint: Think of the legendary Greek hero whose vulnerable heel became famous. 🏛️
  8. 8. Tory eating meat pie without base – excellent! — Answer: CHAMPION. Hint: This describes someone outstanding, or a person who triumphs in competition. 🏆
  9. 13. Angry Lebanon regularly denying former queen — Answer: ANNEBOLEYN. Hint: Look to the Tudor period for the queen whose marriage to Henry VIII ended dramatically. 👑
  10. 15. Clumsy, poor actor is deft when tipsy — Answer: HAMFISTED. Hint: This describes someone whose actions are awkward and lacking finesse. 🤹
  11. 16. City in Turkmenistan bulldozed — Answer: ISTANBUL. Hint: Think of the famous Turkish city that spans two continents. 🌉
  12. 17. Little Tom's out of bed, which is an encouraging sign — Answer: THUMBSUP. Hint: A familiar hand gesture signals approval or encouragement. 👍
  13. 19. Game served up in Moonrakers Inn, Eton — Answer: TENNIS. Hint: This racket sport is played across a net and can be enjoyed in singles or doubles. 🎾
  14. 20. National Insurance collected in tax year is an extravagance — Answer: VANITY. Hint: It can mean excessive self-regard or an empty indulgence. 💎
  15. 23. Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner — Answer: HALVA. Hint: This crumbly confection is often made with sesame or nuts. 🍬
  16. 24. Daughter in law initially goes off puzzle book — Answer: EMMA. Hint: Think of Jane Austen’s novel about a clever young matchmaker. 📚

The answer to “Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner” in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword is HALVA — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 26, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 23-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner” answer

HALVA (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is HALVA.

What does HALVA mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of HALVA is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a Middle Eastern sweet made of sesame flour and honey

When else has “Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner” appeared?

The Telegraph Cryptic reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 26, 2026 (most recent) → HALVA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner”?

The answer is HALVA, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 26, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner”?

5 letters: HALVA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 26, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 23-Down.

Can “Turkish sweet hearts left entertained by Ms Gardner” have a different answer?

Yes — The Telegraph Cryptic sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Telegraph Cryptic answers?

The full grid for August 26, 2026 is on the Telegraph Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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