Grandpa spent $1000 bringing back hair. Maybe he's lonely? (6)

The Minute Cryptic clue “Grandpa spent $1000 bringing back hair. Maybe he's lonely?” (6) was set for Thursday, September 10, 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 10, 2026

Grandpa spent $1000 bringing back hair. Maybe he's lonely?

(6)

The answer isPARIAH

No spoilers — the answer stays blurred until you tap.

Letters 6Device ReversalSet by Liam RunnallsPar 2Solvers 16,281

The clue, colour-coded

Grandpa spent $1000 bringing back hair. Maybe he's lonely?
DefinitionWordplay / fodderLinking words

How this clue works

The definition

Maybe he's lonely?

Our definition here is 'Maybe he's lonely?', and our answer will be someone on the outside - someone who might be lonely.

The wordplay

Grandpa + $1000 + hair

This clue's fodder is 'Grandpa', '$1000', and 'hair'. We'll need to find a substitute for one of these and use it with the letters of the others to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s).

The answer

PARIAH

The clue reads “Grandpa spent $1000 bringing back hair. Maybe he's lonely?” (6). The definition part — “Maybe he's lonely?” — points straight at PARIAH, and the rest of the clue builds it with reversal wordplay.

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

What PARIAH means

/pəˈɹaɪə/noun
noun

A person who is rejected from society or home; an outcast.

noun

A demographic group, species, or community that is generally despised.

Synonyms

castaway, ishmael, outcast

This clue’s puzzle day

This clue was the Minute Cryptic for Thursday, September 10, 2026. Open the September 10, 2026 puzzle page for that day’s write-up, or browse the full Minute Cryptic archive.

More Minute Cryptic clues

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the answer to “Grandpa spent $1000 bringing back hair. Maybe he's lonely?”?
The answer is PARIAH (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.