The Telegraph Plusword is the perfect blend of two word-puzzle classics! It combines a traditional crossword grid challenge with the addictive, five-letter-plus-word-guessing fun of games like Wordle. If you’re stuck on a tricky clue or want to confirm you’ve nailed that five-letter PlusWord, you’ve come to the right place! Here are the answers for today’s Telegraph Plusword for December 18, 2025.

The Telegraph Plusword 1,319 Answers Today: December 31, 2025 - 1

Today’s Telegraph Plusword Answers for December 18, 2025

Check your grid solves against the answers below:

  • 1 Across: Be a bad winner, say- GLOAT

  • 6 Across: Happen again- RECUR

  • 7 Across: Pianist’s exercise, perhaps; e-duet (anag.) – ETUDE

  • 8 Across: Christmas-times – YULES

  • 9 Across: Rotates – SPINS

  • 1 Down: Ashen colours – GREYS

  • 2 Down: Ease, abate – LETUP

  • 3 Down: Round windows; Lucio (anag.) – OCULI

  • 4 Down: W H ____, Funeral Blues poet; a nude (anag.) – AUDEN

  • 5 Down: Lock of hair – TRESS

PlusWord Answer of Telegraph Plusword Today: December 18, 2025

You’ve completed the grid! Now, for the final, five-letter challenge. Let’s find out the PlusWord answer now:

DOLLY

Click here to reveal answer image of today’s Telegraph Plusword - 2

What did you think of today’s Telegraph Plusword puzzle? Were you able to solve both the grid and the final PlusWord?

This PlusWord offers a well-balanced challenge for a daily solver. It blends accessible definitions with a few more sophisticated vocabulary choices, particularly in the music and classical terminology categories. The inclusion of anagrams adds a nice layer of variety, preventing the grid from feeling like a simple dictionary test. It didn’t stick to just one topic. While a few of the plural forms are slightly unusual, the way the letters intersect provides enough “friendly” cross-references to help you narrow down the trickier spots. It’s a clever exercise in both lateral thinking and deduction, especially when transitioning from the main grid to the final bonus word. I’d rate it 4 out of 5 .

How to Play the Telegraph Plusword

The Telegraph Plusword takes the crossword format and adds a brilliant twist:

  1. Solve the Grid: Start by solving the standard crossword using the Across and Down clues. The number of letters for each answer is fixed by the grid.
  2. Identify the Key Letters: Once the grid is complete, look closely at the grid. A handful of specific letters (usually five of them) from your solved answers will be highlighted in a different color.
  3. Find the PlusWord: These five highlighted letters, when rearranged, will form a single, coherent, five-letter word—the PlusWord !
  4. Daily Challenge: A new puzzle is released every 24 hours on The Telegraph website.