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In a container clue, the solution is broken into parts, and one part is embedded within the other.

Some words that can form container clues:

RENEWAL = NEW inside REAL
TRAGEDY = AGED inside TRY

Container Clue Structure: The clue consists of -
1. Solution definition
2. Definition for the outer word (container)
3. Definition for the inner word (content) 
4. Containment Indicator – This can either indicate that:
    (A) Inner word is to be put inside outer word – e.g. held, occupying, flanked, inside. 
    (B) Outer word is to be taken around inner word – e.g. admitting, frames, swallowing, outside.

Example (using container indicator type (A)):
THC 9450: Building for the workers in principle (8) TENE{MEN}T
Solution definition: building
Outer word definition: principle = TENET, Inner word definition: the workers = MEN
Containment indicator: in

Example (using container indicator type (B)):
NIE 01-Feb-09: Horseman capturing a freebooter (6) R{A}IDER
Solution definition: freebooter
Outer word definition: horseman = RIDER, Inner word definition: a = A
Containment indicator: capturing

Container Clue Characteristics

• Container clues are quite similar to charade clues – in both clue types, the solution is broken into smaller parts. The difference is that the parts are placed in sequence in a charade but one inside the other in a container clue. Also, charades may not have indicators whereas container clues must.

• Container clues are often combined with abbreviations, or bits and pieces of words (such as first/last letters).
  Times 24132: Problem about university affected person (6) POSE{U}R
  Times 24131: Astonishment, securing extremely youthful stage role (7) SH{YL}OCK

• The outer/inner words may not have straight definitions; they may in turn be clued as anagrams, reversals etc. In such cases, the relevant indicator would be present in the clue at the appropriate position.
  Container + Anagram:
  THC 9443: Showing clemency, allow nine to dance inside (7) LE{NIEN*}T
  The inner word (NINE) is to be anagrammed; the anagram indicator 'to dance' is placed next to it.
  
  Container + Inner Word Charade:
  NIE 04-Feb-09: Look includes a ship of the line (5) L{A SS}O
  Note that words that act as fillers in some clues (such as 'a', 'on') are often part of the solution in  container clues.
  
  Container + Outer Word Charade:
  Times 24131: Material in gold now at first available in a strip (7)OR GA{N}ZA
  In clues that combine other clue types with containers, the word order in the clue is important - in this case for example, the containment indicator can only be positioned between the definitions for N and GAZA. The word order gives you hints for how to arrive at the solution.

• The examples here show container clues with one level of depth. At times you might come across nested embedding of words i.e. the contained word contains another contained word.

Related Posts:

• Container and Content Indicators
• Other Clue Types: Anagrams, Hidden Words, Charades, Deletions,
                             Reversals, Double Definitions, Homophones, Substitutions,
                             Acrostics, Cryptic Definitions, &Lit.

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