This page has hints and the answer for the daily Parseword puzzle of 16 October 2026, which the game calls Daily Puzzle #261. The puzzle is one cryptic crossword clue; five hints are folded below from the lightest to the strongest, followed by the answer and a step-by-step explanation.
Today’s clue: “French stereotype, widowed perhaps, taking out female”
The answer is one word of 5 letters. The game marks this puzzle as hard. The game credits the clue to PostMark at Unch.
Parseword Hints for October 16, 2026
Open the hints one at a time. Each hint gives away more than the one before it.
Hint 1 · the definition
The definition is at the start of the clue: “French stereotype”. It describes the answer and is never changed by the wordplay.
Hint 2 · kinds of wordplay
The game’s solution takes three steps. The steps use wordplay of these kinds: replacement and deletion.
Hint 3 · indicator words
In this clue, “taking out” is an indicator. An indicator is a word or phrase that describes a change to the words next to it.
Hint 4 · the first step
The first step of the game’s solution works on “female”, with no indicator word. That step is a replacement: it swaps a word or phrase with a synonym or an abbreviation.
Hint 5 · first letter
The answer starts with the letter B.
Parseword Answer for October 16, 2026
The answer is hidden in the fold below. Open it after you have finished guessing.
Today’s Parseword answer
BERET
BERET answers the definition part of the clue, which is “French stereotype”.
Step-by-Step Explanation
The list below shows the solution stored in the game, one step per line: the kind of wordplay, the words before the step, an arrow, and the result of the step. The words before each step appear as the game stores them, in lower case and without punctuation.
- Replacement: female → F
- Replacement: widowed perhaps → BEREFT
- Deletion, indicator “taking out”: bereft taking out f → BERET
Yesterday’s Parseword answer (15 October 2026)
REAR ENDS
The clue was “Asses are seen in tears”.
More Parseword: Yesterday’s puzzle · Play Parseword on parseword.com
Also today: Wordle · Connections · Strands · Pips · Phrazle · Quordle · Keyword · Colordle · Unwordle · Hurdle · NYT Crossword · NYT Mini · NYT Midi · Jumble · Spelling Bee · Letter Boxed · Poeltl
Earlier days: 15 Oct · 14 Oct · 13 Oct · 12 Oct
Questions about Parseword
How is Parseword played?
Parseword gives one cryptic crossword clue a day. One part is the definition; it describes the answer and is never changed. The player changes the other words step by step with wordplay, such as replacing a word with a synonym or an abbreviation, picking some of its letters, or rearranging its letters. The puzzle is solved when the wordplay part becomes the answer.
When does Parseword change to a new puzzle?
The game changes to the next day’s puzzle at 08:00 UTC, at the same moment for every player. In India, that is 1:30 pm.
Where can a person play Parseword?
Play Parseword in a web browser at parseword.com.
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