lift and separate

noun

A cryptic crossword device where several indicators and wordplay elements are combined into a coherent misleading phrase.

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Meanings

nounlift and separate (plural lift and separates)

plural lift and separates · alternative lift-and-separate

  1. crosswordingA cryptic crossword device where several indicators and wordplay elements are combined into a coherent misleading phrase.
  2. proscribedsometimescrosswordingA cryptic crossword device where a single word must be read as multiple words – for example, "indeed" as "in deed".

Origin

From the slogan for Playtex bras. Coined in 2007 by crossword commentator Mark Goodliffe.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lift and separate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lift%20and%20separate

MLA

“lift and separate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lift%20and%20separate. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lift and separate,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lift%20and%20separate.

Source: lift and separate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.