Deletion Clue Practice
Ten original deletion clues arranged from easy to hard. Each clue asks you to remove one or more letters from a source word to reveal the answer. Deletion clues come in three varieties: head deletions (remove the first letter), tail deletions (remove the last letter), and interior deletions (remove a middle letter). Try to spot the indicator, identify the source word and which letter to remove, and work out the definition before revealing the solution.
“Taxi reduced — fee (3)”
Reveal answer
Answer: TAX
- Deletion indicator: “reduced”
- Source word: TAXI
- Letter removed: I (last letter)
- Definition: “fee”
"Reduced" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the last letter. TAXI minus its final letter I gives TAX. The definition is "fee".
“Brand curtailed — cereal (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: BRAN
- Deletion indicator: “curtailed”
- Source word: BRAND
- Letter removed: D (last letter)
- Definition: “cereal”
"Curtailed" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the last letter. BRAND minus its final letter D gives BRAN. The definition is "cereal".
“Headless beast — direction (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: EAST
- Deletion indicator: “headless”
- Source word: BEAST
- Letter removed: B (first letter)
- Definition: “direction”
"Headless" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the first letter. BEAST minus its initial letter B gives EAST. The definition is "direction".
“Paste unfinished — gone by (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: PAST
- Deletion indicator: “unfinished”
- Source word: PASTE
- Letter removed: E (last letter)
- Definition: “gone by”
"Unfinished" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the last letter. PASTE minus its final letter E gives PAST. The definition is "gone by".
“Price beheaded — cereal (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: RICE
- Deletion indicator: “beheaded”
- Source word: PRICE
- Letter removed: P (first letter)
- Definition: “cereal”
"Beheaded" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the first letter. PRICE minus its initial letter P gives RICE. The definition is "cereal".
“Pint endless — fastener (3)”
Reveal answer
Answer: PIN
- Deletion indicator: “endless”
- Source word: PINT
- Letter removed: T (last letter)
- Definition: “fastener”
"Endless" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the last letter. PINT minus its final letter T gives PIN. The definition is "fastener".
“Scold loses head — chilly (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: COLD
- Deletion indicator: “loses head”
- Source word: SCOLD
- Letter removed: S (first letter)
- Definition: “chilly”
"Loses head" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the first letter. SCOLD minus its initial letter S gives COLD. The definition is "chilly".
“Plant endless — a scheme (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: PLAN
- Deletion indicator: “endless”
- Source word: PLANT
- Letter removed: T (last letter)
- Definition: “a scheme”
"Endless" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the last letter. PLANT minus its final letter T gives PLAN. The definition is "a scheme".
“Wheat loses head — warmth (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: HEAT
- Deletion indicator: “loses head”
- Source word: WHEAT
- Letter removed: W (first letter)
- Definition: “warmth”
"Loses head" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the first letter. WHEAT minus its initial letter W gives HEAT. The definition is "warmth".
“Heartless fiend — locate (4)”
Reveal answer
Answer: FIND
- Deletion indicator: “heartless”
- Source word: FIEND
- Letter removed: E (middle letter)
- Definition: “locate”
"Heartless" is the deletion indicator, signalling the removal of the central letter. FIEND minus its middle letter E gives FIND. The definition is "locate".
Learn more about deletion clues
If you want to understand deletion indicators in depth, see the full teaching page. It covers how to spot head, tail, and interior deletion indicators, common patterns, and worked examples from real Parseword puzzles.
Deletion clues — full guide