Word Puzzle 69

Word Puzzle 69 – Solution with Explanation

Theme: The theme is Bond villains. It was divulged in a pair of answers viz., 17 Bond and 6 villains.

1. Serial, book (def), S (God’s), imperial (epic), imp (devil), killing of (deletion of) imp.

2. Francisco Scaramanga, baddie (thematic def i.e. Bond Villain), beaten up (anagram of) MAGA + car + San Francisco

3. Intemperate, raw (def), innate (natural), without (deletion of), n (unfavourable aspect), overshadowing (container), temper (mood)

4. Raoul Silva, baddie (thematic def i.e. Bond villain), problem (anagram of) oral + visual

5. Overstep, implicit meta, pets (target), outreach (def), one way to get pets is through reversal (over) of step

6. Villains, rogues (def), ill (out of sorts), in (insertion), vain (empty), s (space)

7. Max Zorin, baddie (thematic def), xz (couple of unknown), OR (men), breaking into (insertion), main (capital)

8. Flash, While climbing up (reversal), in (hidden), outburst (def), rest is fodder

9. Franz Sanchez, NASA (space agency), ZZ (crux of the puzzle i.e. middle letters), confused (anagram of) French + NASA + ZZ, baddie (thematic def)

10. Opines, allows (def), op (work), in (at home), ES (directions)

11. Le Chiffre, Le (the in French), fr (frequently), misled (anagram of) Le + chief + fr, baddie (thematic def)

12. Killers, easily (anagram of) reskill, jobs (def)

13. Elektra King, El (the in Spanish), king (monarch), hiding (container), rent (anagram of) taker, the baddie (thematic def)

14. Juggernaut, juggler (circus performer), loses (deletion of) L (hand), violent (anagram of) tuna, blitz (def)

15. Gustav Graves, baddie (thematic def), gust (flash), a (a), V (sign), grave (dangerous), S (bend)

16. Homogeneous, relatable (def), homo (humanoid), genius (character), in audition (homophone)

17. Bond, DD as in cement and deal

18. Quip, some (hidden), joke (def), rest is fodder

19. Upward, how to (meta), draw (target), overhead (def), one way is via reversal (up) of ward

20. Arrogate, arrogant (high and mighty), E (English), not (deletion of) n (new), press (def)

21. Phenomenon, exhibiting (hidden), caution (def), rest is fodder