Early mode of transport from Revolutionary War found in drained canal? (5)

The Minute Cryptic clue “Early mode of transport from Revolutionary War found in drained canal?” (5) was set for Sunday, September 20, 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 20, 2026

Early mode of transport from Revolutionary War found in drained canal?

(5)

The answer isCRAWL

No spoilers — the answer stays blurred until you tap.

Letters 5Device ReversalSet by Kaldar (community)Par 2Solvers 16,218

The clue, colour-coded

Early mode of transport from Revolutionary War found in drained canal?
DefinitionWordplay / fodderLinking words

How this clue works

The definition

Early mode of transport

Our definition here is 'Early mode of transport', and note the question mark – it flags that there is an element of stretchiness with this definition.

The wordplay

War + canal

This clue's fodder is 'War' and 'canal'. We'll use these letters (or some of them) to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s).

The answer

CRAWL

The clue reads “Early mode of transport from Revolutionary War found in drained canal?” (5). The definition part — “Early mode of transport” — points straight at CRAWL, and the rest of the clue builds it with reversal wordplay.

Minute Cryptic publishes a short walkthrough for this clue — watch Kaldar’s own explanation →

This clue’s puzzle day

This clue was the Minute Cryptic for Sunday, September 20, 2026. Open the September 20, 2026 puzzle page for that day’s write-up, or browse the full Minute Cryptic archive.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the answer to “Early mode of transport from Revolutionary War found in drained canal?”?
The answer is CRAWL (5 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.