| Very severe |
Premier Sunday |
17 Aug 2025 |
| Draconian |
Eugene Sheffer |
16 Aug 2025 |
| Overly critical |
USA Today |
16 Jul 2025 |
| Severe |
Universal |
13 Jul 2025 |
| Grating end of Cheddar, put in mince (5) |
|
|
| Very strict |
Newsday |
06 Jul 2025 |
| Austere(5) |
|
|
| Cruel, stem (5) |
|
|
| Like some climates and critics |
|
|
| It's tough, making a hash outright! (5) |
|
|
| Like an arctic winter |
LA Times Daily |
27 May 2025 |
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
12 May 2025 |
| Like Arctic winters |
Universal |
12 May 2025 |
| Unrelenting |
Puzzler Backwords |
11 May 2025 |
| Unpleasant, as weather |
Newsday |
04 May 2025 |
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
01 May 2025 |
| "Ouch, that was mean" |
|
|
| Draconian |
Eugene Sheffer |
05 Apr 2025 |
| Severe or cruel |
|
|
| Severe |
The Telegraph Mini |
19 Mar 2025 |
| "You could have been a little nicer about it" |
|
|
| Caught right in the mess, which is really tough (5) |
|
|
| Unfriendly, possibly rash hothead (5) |
|
|
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
08 Mar 2025 |
| Cruel, stern (5) |
|
|
| Severe, stark |
The Times Concise |
07 Mar 2025 |
| Stern, severe |
Mirror Classic |
06 Mar 2025 |
| Like some exfoliating peels, for sensitive skin |
|
|
| Very severe |
Commuter |
01 Mar 2025 |
| Bitter hothead, wildly rash (5) |
|
|
| Severe, cruel |
Mirror Tea Time |
23 Feb 2025 |
| Severe rash treated by hospital (5) |
|
|
| Overly tough |
New York Times Mini |
12 Feb 2025 |
| Rough, jarring (5) |
|
|
| It's tough and in a right mess? To the contrary (5) |
|
|
| Scathing |
USA Today |
09 Jan 2025 |
| Severe, hard (5) |
|
|
| It's tough making a mess of right through (5) |
|
|
| Severe, cruel |
Mirror Tea Time |
17 Dec 2024 |
| Draconian |
Mirror Classic |
11 Dec 2024 |
| Unduly critical |
|
|
| Severe |
Commuter |
19 Nov 2024 |
| Hospital treated rash that's severe (5) |
|
|
| Like some criticism and winter weather |
New York Times Mini |
24 Oct 2024 |
| Draconian |
Eugene Sheffer |
24 Oct 2024 |
| Severe |
New York Times |
23 Oct 2024 |
| Severe hack involves element of risk |
|
|
| It's tough when you make a mess outright! (5) |
|
|
| Excessively negative, as criticism |
New York Times Mini |
02 Oct 2024 |
| Abusive to a hothead, madly rash (5) |
|
|
| Severe rash turned hot |
The Times Quick Cryptic |
10 Sep 2024 |
| Severe |
The Telegraph Mini |
10 Sep 2024 |
| Severe |
USA Today |
07 Sep 2024 |
| Hit and run, some hard line leaders are cruel (5) |
|
|
| "You're being really critical" |
USA Today |
02 Sep 2024 |
| Withering, as criticism |
|
|
| Redhead assumes local drug will be unpleasantly severe |
|
|
| Severe |
The Telegraph Mini |
16 Aug 2024 |
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
25 Jul 2024 |
| Severe, cruel |
Mirror Tea Time |
25 Jul 2024 |
| Unpleasantly severe |
Commuter |
09 Jul 2024 |
| To make a hash outright is rough! (5) |
|
|
| Unforgiving |
Commuter |
27 Jun 2024 |
| Stem, severe (5) |
|
|
| Unpleasant hothead possibly getting rash (5) |
|
|
| Draconian |
LA Times Mini |
22 May 2024 |
| Rather severe |
LA Times Daily |
17 May 2024 |
| Like desert conditions |
Wall Street Journal |
17 Apr 2024 |
| Abusive, possibly rash after a hasty start (5) |
|
|
| Strict, unforgiving |
The Times Concise |
14 Mar 2024 |
| Abrasive |
New York Times |
28 Feb 2024 |
| Rough, severe |
|
|
| Unpleasantly rough or sharp to the senses (5) |
|
|
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
10 Feb 2024 |
| Austere Romeo in mess (5) |
|
|
| Stringent |
Puzzler Backwords |
20 Jan 2024 |
| Very severe |
Newsday |
31 Dec 2023 |
| Unduly exacting |
|
|
| Severe, cruel |
Puzzler Backwords |
29 Nov 2023 |
| Too critical |
The Telegraph Quick |
26 Nov 2023 |
| Inhospitable |
Wall Street Journal |
04 Nov 2023 |
| Like cold winters |
|
|
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
24 Aug 2023 |
| Quite severe |
Universal |
06 Aug 2023 |
| Rigorous |
LA Times Daily |
13 Jul 2023 |
| Severe; hostile |
The Telegraph Quick |
03 Jul 2023 |
| Stuffing rook into pot is cruel |
The Telegraph Toughie |
27 Jun 2023 |
| Brutal |
Wall Street Journal |
07 Jun 2023 |
| Difficult to endure |
Wall Street Journal |
03 Jun 2023 |
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
28 Mar 2023 |
| Like an intense winter |
Universal |
18 Mar 2023 |
| Bitter Roger's getting into mess |
The Guardian Cryptic |
01 Mar 2023 |
| Severe |
Universal |
25 Feb 2023 |
| Overly severe |
USA Today |
19 Jan 2023 |
| Severe |
The Guardian Speedy |
18 Dec 2022 |
| Extremely unkind (rhymes with "marsh") |
|
|
| 'Don't ___ my mellow' |
USA Today |
09 Dec 2022 |
| Tough |
New York Times |
04 Dec 2022 |
| Rigorous hospital on top of outbreak, promoting antitoxin initially |
The Telegraph Toughie |
01 Dec 2022 |
| Overly critical |
USA Today |
06 Nov 2022 |
| Unnecessarily mean |
Wall Street Journal |
04 Nov 2022 |
| Audibly unpleasant |
Wall Street Journal |
05 Oct 2022 |
| Unpleasantly rough |
The Times Concise |
30 Sep 2022 |
| Hard and rather strict, horribly initially |
The Telegraph Cryptic |
15 Sep 2022 |
| Scathing |
New York Times |
13 Aug 2022 |
| Severe |
USA Today |
01 Aug 2022 |
| Like an Arctic winter |
Universal |
27 Jul 2022 |
| Overly strict |
New York Times |
18 Jul 2022 |
| Cruel |
LA Times Daily |
16 Jul 2022 |
| Rough |
The Telegraph Quick |
09 Jul 2022 |
| Unpleasantly stern or rough |
Irish Times Simplex |
17 May 2022 |
| 'Don't __ my mellow!' |
The Washington Post |
13 May 2022 |
| "Don't __ my mellow!" |
LA Times Daily |
13 May 2022 |
| Unduly severe |
Thomas Joseph |
02 May 2022 |
| Overly critical |
Universal |
11 Apr 2022 |
| Draconian |
Eugene Sheffer |
01 Apr 2022 |
| Like Mongolian winters |
USA Today |
14 Mar 2022 |
| Like white light, sometimes |
|
|
| Glaring |
Premier Sunday |
09 Jan 2022 |
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
24 Nov 2021 |
| Unpleasantly rough |
The Times Concise |
02 Nov 2021 |
| Heard course is rough enough |
Irish Times Crosaire |
27 May 2021 |
| Draconian |
The Sun Two Speed |
04 May 2021 |
| Spartan king in muddled mess |
The Sun Two Speed |
04 May 2021 |
| Rugged or ragged |
Newsday |
24 Apr 2021 |
| Severe |
New York Times |
15 Apr 2021 |
| '___ but fair' |
The Washington Post Sunday |
04 Apr 2021 |
| Unpleasantly rough |
The Times Concise |
03 Apr 2021 |
| Severe |
USA Today |
21 Mar 2021 |
| Severe |
Universal |
03 Mar 2021 |
| Stuffing rook into pot is cruel |
The Sun Two Speed |
15 Jan 2021 |
| Like extreme 41-Across |
LA Times Daily |
04 Jan 2021 |
| Like extreme 41-Across |
The Washington Post |
04 Jan 2021 |
| Unpleasantly stern |
Irish Times Simplex |
08 Dec 2020 |
| Severe, as criticism |
Newsday |
07 Dec 2020 |
| Bitter Republican into pot |
|
|
| Iron-fisted |
Wall Street Journal |
03 Sep 2020 |
| Like scathing reviews |
The Washington Post Sunday |
17 May 2020 |
| Austere |
The Telegraph Quick |
08 Mar 2020 |
| Like extremely bright light, sometimes |
|
|
| Caustic |
|
|
| Strident |
Wall Street Journal |
21 Dec 2019 |
| Stringent |
Newsday |
12 Dec 2019 |
| Draconian |
Thomas Joseph |
30 Nov 2019 |
| Stern leader of regiment entering mess |
|
|
| Not kind |
New York Times |
22 Oct 2019 |
| Not kind |
|
|
| Unforgiving |
Universal |
07 Oct 2019 |
| Severe |
Newsday |
04 Sep 2019 |
| Like a zero-star review |
New York Times |
18 Aug 2019 |
| Cruel |
Wall Street Journal |
13 Aug 2019 |
| Like Minnesota winters |
USA Today |
17 Jul 2019 |
| Tyrannical |
New York Times |
18 Jun 2019 |
| Severe resistance breaking tag used on social media |
|
|
| Like bitterly cold weather |
|
|
| Tough on the ears |
Newsday |
26 May 2019 |
| Tough to hear, as criticism |
LA Times Daily |
17 May 2019 |
| Tough to hear, as criticism |
The Washington Post |
17 May 2019 |
| Very severe |
Newsday |
29 Apr 2019 |
| Like Chicago winters |
The Washington Post Sunday |
28 Apr 2019 |
| Bitter husband remains without dinner in the end |
|
|
| Discordant |
Wall Street Journal |
06 Feb 2019 |
| Like a zero-star review |
|
|
| Tyrannical |
|
|
| Like Minnesota winters |
|
|
| Unforgiving |
|
|
| Strident |
|
|
| Discordant |
|
|
| Cruel |
|
|
| Tough to hear, as criticism |
|
|
| Severe |
The Telegraph Quick |
29 Dec 2018 |
| Like Antarctic winds |
Wall Street Journal |
15 Dec 2018 |
| Severe; bleak |
The Telegraph Quick |
09 Oct 2018 |
| Coarse one leaves like a swift runner |
The Telegraph Toughie |
14 Sep 2018 |
| Severe, as a punishment |
Newsday |
23 Jul 2018 |
| Abrasive |
New York Times |
23 Jun 2018 |
| Rough |
New York Times |
24 May 2018 |
| Severe, as criticism |
USA Today |
17 May 2018 |
| Grating to the ear |
USA Today |
26 Apr 2018 |
| Like New England winters |
Wall Street Journal |
17 Apr 2018 |
| Tyrannical |
Wall Street Journal |
07 Apr 2018 |
| Stark or strict |
Universal |
05 Apr 2018 |
| Like arctic winters |
The Chronicle of Higher Education |
30 Mar 2018 |
| Overly severe |
Wall Street Journal |
10 Feb 2018 |
| Gruff |
Newsday |
21 Jan 2018 |
| Severe, as criticism |
|
|
| Like arctic winters |
|
|
| Abrasive |
|
|
| Rough |
|
|
| Tyrannical |
|
|
| Like New England winters |
|
|
| Like Antarctic winds |
|
|
| Stark or strict |
|
|
| Grating to the ear |
|
|
| Like Arctic winters |
Wall Street Journal |
21 Dec 2017 |
| Rough on the eyes or ears |
New York Times |
02 Oct 2017 |
| Coarse grass restricts runs |
The Telegraph Cryptic |
22 Aug 2017 |
| Far from lenient |
USA Today |
07 Aug 2017 |
| Like a rough winter |
The Washington Post |
11 Jul 2017 |
| Like a rough winter |
LA Times Daily |
11 Jul 2017 |
| Grating |
Thomas Joseph |
06 Jul 2017 |
| Unpleasant |
LA Times Daily |
25 May 2017 |
| Unpleasant |
The Washington Post |
25 May 2017 |
| Rough, as criticism |
New York Times |
08 May 2017 |
| Unpleasant to the ear |
Wall Street Journal |
08 May 2017 |
| Rough recipe to stuff meat dish |
|
|
| Like bad winters |
Universal |
09 Mar 2017 |
| Strident |
Premier Sunday |
26 Feb 2017 |
| Severe |
Thomas Joseph |
06 Feb 2017 |
| Severe |
The Washington Post |
26 Jan 2017 |
| Gruff |
Wall Street Journal |
19 Jan 2017 |
| Rough, as criticism |
|
|
| Unpleasant |
|
|
| Like a rough winter |
|
|
| Far from lenient |
|
|
| Rough on the eyes or ears |
|
|
| Glaring |
New York Times |
31 Dec 2016 |
| Severe |
Wall Street Journal |
22 Oct 2016 |
| Stringent |
New York Times |
07 Sep 2016 |
| Overly severe |
Family Time |
01 Aug 2016 |
| Cacophonous |
Wall Street Journal |
06 Jul 2016 |
| Hotel on Trim bog can be freezing |
Irish Times Crosaire |
27 Jun 2016 |
| Knucklehead |
New York Times |
02 Jun 2016 |
| Overly critical |
Wall Street Journal |
16 Mar 2016 |
| Grating |
The Guardian Speedy |
13 Mar 2016 |
| Draconian |
Universal |
15 Feb 2016 |
| Unkind |
Newsday |
31 Jan 2016 |
| Austere |
The Sun Two Speed |
10 Jan 2016 |
| Austere in Lehar's home |
The Sun Two Speed |
10 Jan 2016 |
| Draconian |
|
|
| Stringent |
|
|
| Like arctic winters |
|
|
| Glaring |
|
|
| Like arctic winters |
Wall Street Journal |
26 Dec 2015 |
| Severe, as weather |
USA Today |
03 Sep 2015 |
| Like Siberian winters |
New York Times |
17 Aug 2015 |
| Draconian |
USA Today |
14 Jul 2015 |
| Grating; severe |
The Telegraph Quick |
21 Jun 2015 |
| Strident |
LA Times Daily |
03 Jun 2015 |
| Cold and mercilous |
Canadiana |
19 Jan 2015 |
| Strident |
The Telegraph Quick |
12 Jan 2015 |
| Tough on the ears |
|
|
| Like Siberian winters |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Like arctic winters |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Severe, as weather |
|
|
| Strident |
|
|
| Far from lenient |
|
|
| Cruel |
|
|
| Severe, as weather |
|
|
| Difficult to endure |
|
|
| Like some truths |
|
|
| Acerb |
|
|
| Grating |
|
|
| Like a desert climate |
|
|
| Desolate |
|
|
| Overly severe |
|
|
| Excessively stringent |
|
|
| Tyrannical |
|
|
| Brutal |
|
|
| Like taskmasters |
|
|
| Strident |
|
|
| Excessively stringent |
|
|
| Like Russian winters |
|
|
| Cacophonous |
|
|
| Grating to the ear |
|
|
| Far from gentle |
|
|
| Unpleasantly severe |
|
|
| Unforgiving |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Strident |
|
|
| Far from kind |
|
|
| Not at all gentle |
|
|
| Quite severe |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Unnecessarily severe |
|
|
| Like Russian winters |
|
|
| Quite rough |
|
|
| Quite rough |
|
|
| Extremely unkind |
|
|
| Stringent |
|
|
| Tough to take |
|
|
| Blaring |
|
|
| Brutal |
|
|
| Unduly severe |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Tough to take |
|
|
| Like Russian winters |
|
|
| Like an arctic winter |
|
|
| Savage |
|
|
| Very severe |
|
|
| Like Russian winters |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Caustic |
|
|
| Austere |
|
|
| Caustic |
|
|
| Austere |
|
|
| Grating |
|
|
| Gruff |
|
|
| Like Siberian winters |
|
|
| Far from gentle |
|
|
| Unduly severe |
|
|
| Abrasive |
|
|
| Strict |
|
|
| Not lenient |
|
|
| Difficult to endure |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Hard on the ears |
|
|
| Acerbic |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Far from gentle |
|
|
| Like a winter in Siberia |
|
|
| Like a drill instructor |
|
|
| Stringent |
|
|
| Like winters in the Arctic |
|
|
| Iron-fisted |
|
|
| Extremely unkind |
|
|
| Hard on the ears |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Tough to endure |
|
|
| Jarring to the eye |
|
|
| Ruthless |
|
|
| Like some criticism |
|
|
| Strict or stark |
|
|
| Hard-nosed |
|
|
| Like cold, snowy winters |
|
|
| Like cold, snowy winters |
|
|
| Tough to endure |
|
|
| Like an Alaskan winter |
|
|
| Like arctic winds |
|
|
| Like an arctic winter |
|
|
| Astringent |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Unpleasantly coarse |
|
|
| Spartan and ruthless |
|
|
| Extremely unkind |
|
|
| Extremely unkind |
|
|
| Ungentle |
|
|
| Crueler than necessary |
|
|
| Brutal |
|
|
| Iron-fisted |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Inclement |
|
|
| Rough |
|
|
| Like an unfiltered cigarette, maybe |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Strident |
|
|
| Like bad winters |
|
|
| Like Siberian winters |
|
|
| Spartan |
|
|
| Like many realities |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Unpleasantly severe |
|
|
| Like bad winters |
|
|
| Like Siberian winters |
|
|
| Heavy-handed |
|
|
| Unpleasant to the ear |
|
|
| Acerbic |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Cold |
|
|
| Type of reality |
|
|
| Grating |
|
|
| Not lenient |
|
|
| Not understanding |
|
|
| Exacting |
|
|
| More than unkind |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Grating |
|
|
| Strident |
|
|
| Strident |
|
|
| Severe, like a punishment |
|
|
| Stern |
|
|
| Irritating |
|
|
| Excessively stringent |
|
|
| Like some abrasives |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Type of criticism or treatment |
|
|
| Like an unfiltered cigarette, maybe |
|
|
| Rough- sounding |
|
|
| Like arctic winters |
|
|
| Stern |
|
|
| Severe^HARS |
|
|
| Meanspirited |
|
|
| Severe |
|
|
| Austere |
|
|
| Abrasive |
|
|
| Overly severe |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Spartan |
|
|
| Draconian |
|
|
| Cacophonic |
|
|
| Clashingly colored |
|
|
| Rigorous |
|
|
| Raspy |
|
|
| Unsparing |
|
|
| Rough |
|
|
| Austere |
|
|
| Discordant |
|
|
| Stern |
|
|
| Astringent |
|
|
| Jarring |
|
|
| Unrelenting |
|
|
| Rasping |
|
|
| Uncompromising |
|
|
| Cruel |
|
|
| Unfeeling. |
|
|
| Rugged. |
|
|
| Unduly severe |
|
|
| Abrasive |
|
|
| Difficult on the ears |
|
|
| Brusque. |
|
|
| Jangling. |
|
|
| Rigorous. |
|
|
| Gruff. |
|
|
| Discordant. |
|
|
| Cruel. |
|
|
| Strident. |
|
|
| Rough. |
|
|
| Grating. |
|
|
| Unduly exacting. |
|
|
| Severe. |
|
|
| Jarring. |
|
|
| Stringent. |
|
|