Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Bats as a verb is the definition. One letter bass + a truncated word for eat. I wasn’t aware of this meaning of to bat.

It’s not marked as North American meaning in Chambers, but it is in Collins Online

Ah, thanks Quisling. I saw that wordplay earlier but didn’t know the meaning. It works as a plural noun as well I think, if Collins online is our reference.

Quite right, Jono, and I think the plural noun is the intended definition

Thanks Quisling for the brilliant parsing as usual. Could zero in on the word. I was trying to analyse mental (slang word for bats) containg N A for North American and was getting nowhere near the answer. Your cue finally helped me to solve the clue.

Please help me in parsing / solving this cryptic clue -
"Calm duck avoiding accident (8)"

it's a three letter word for duck being removed from a synonym of accident to mean calm

Thanks candledave for the help. Could get the word. Did not think of this word for duck in the first place.

Please help me in parsing / solving this cryptic clue -
"Completely hollow opening which people close for crossing (5-3)"

Hi Bahram

4-letter hollow inside 3-letter 'which people' (as a question) + a single letter from a word in the clue
Definition is completely, and the answer is the last two words of what is normally a four-word expression