Home/Minute Cryptic/Clue

Cat on a leash locked up without a key (6)

Minute Cryptic clue · September 9, 2026 · answer and full explanation
By Ahmed Hassan
Answer verified against the live puzzle

The Minute Cryptic clue “Cat on a leash locked up without a key” (6) was set for Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Below is the answer — blurred until you tap — followed by the definition, the wordplay and why the letters land where they do.

Minute Cryptic · September 9, 2026

Cat on a leash locked up without a key

(6)

The answer isATONAL

No spoilers — the answer stays blurred until you tap.

Letters 6Set by Members: jojo! & ScottDeePar 2Solvers 15,544

The clue, colour-coded

Cat on a leash locked up without a key
DefinitionWordplay / fodderLinking words

How this clue works

The definition

without a key

Our definition here is 'without a key', and our answer will be a word for that.

The wordplay

Cat on a leash

This clue's fodder is 'Cat on a leash'. We'll use these letters (or some of them) to reach our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s)

The answer

ATONAL

The clue reads “Cat on a leash locked up without a key” (6). The definition part — “without a key” — points straight at ATONAL, and the rest of the clue builds it through wordplay.

Minute Cryptic publishes a short walkthrough for this clue — watch Members: jojo! & ScottDee’s own explanation →

This clue’s puzzle day

This clue was the Minute Cryptic for Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Open the September 9, 2026 puzzle page for that day’s write-up, or browse the full Minute Cryptic archive.

More Minute Cryptic clues

What you won't hear from honest builders debuting modest homeSep 8See answer →Bucketload of chickens from local KFC, fried and calorie-free?Sep 7See answer →Item initially dispensed by server!Sep 6See answer →Say, why are you jay-walking around and judging people?Sep 5See answer →Start halfway and stop halfway and flip halfway?Sep 4See answer →Eggs squeezed out by a rooster? That’s unusual… most unusualSep 3See answer →Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!Sep 2See answer →How’s lead ammunition found by empty creek bed between two trees?Sep 1See answer →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the answer to “Cat on a leash locked up without a key”?
The answer is ATONAL (6 letters). Tap the reveal button above to see it in the answer card.
How do I read a cryptic clue like this?
Every cryptic clue has two halves: a straight definition (at the start or the end) and a piece of wordplay that builds the same word letter by letter. Find the definition first, count the letters from the enumeration, then work out which trick the rest of the clue is playing.
Is there a new Minute Cryptic every day?
Yes — one cryptic clue a day at minutecryptic.com, plus community-set clues. We publish each day’s answer and breakdown here shortly after it goes live.