Container and Contents Indicators

Containment and insertion indicators tell the solver to put one piece of text inside another. Containment involves X surrounding Y (result = Y inside X), as in ‘Irish playwright holds party’ for SHAW contains DO = SHADOW; insertion means X being put into Y (result = X inside Y), as in ‘worker entering annexe’ for ANT inserted into WING = WANTING. In general, any term which suggests something being contained by something else is likely to be acceptable, although setters should avoid ones which are normally used only in a restricted context (eg ‘punches’, which relates specifically to piercing using a tool). Where the indicator is a verb, other forms are possible, such as the infinitive (eg ‘naughty to embrace king’ for BAD contains R = BARD). Note that a few verbs, such as ‘assume’ and ‘inspire’ can be used (in advanced crosswords) to indicate either containment or insertion (‘He inspired the fresh air’ / ‘He was inspired with ambition’). Setters should be careful when using certain past participles with ‘by’ – for instance, ‘Mary imprisoned by Elizabeth’ doesn’t imply imprisonment within Elizabeth.

Indicator	Alternative form(s)	Variety	Type
aboard		Insertion	Standard
about		Containment	Standard
absorbed by		Insertion	Standard
absorbing	absorbs	Containment	Standard
accepted by		Insertion	Standard
accepting	accepts	Containment	Standard
accommodated by		Insertion	Standard
accommodating	accommodates	Containment	Standard
admitted by		Insertion	Standard
admitting	admits	Containment	Standard
adopted by		Insertion	Standard
adopting	adopts	Containment	Standard
ambient		Insertion	Advanced
amid	amidst	Insertion	Standard
among		Insertion	Standard
apprehended by		Insertion	Standard
apprehending	apprehends	Containment	Standard
around		Containment	Standard
arrested by		Insertion	Standard
arresting	arrests	Containment	Standard
assuming	assumes/assumed by	Containment	Advanced
assuming	assumes/assumed by	Insertion	Advanced
bagged by		Insertion	Standard
bagging	bags	Containment	Standard
bailing	bails	Containment	Advanced
bathed in		Insertion	Standard
bathing	bathes	Containment	Standard
bearing	bears	Containment	Standard
bedded in		Insertion	Standard
bedding	beds	Containment	Advanced
beset by	beset with	Insertion	Standard
besetting	besets	Containment	Standard
besieged by		Insertion	Standard
besieging	besieges	Containment	Standard
biting	bites	Containment	Standard
bitten by		Insertion	Standard
blankets		Containment	Standard
boarded by		Containment	Standard
boarding	boards	Insertion	Standard
bones		Containment	Advanced
bored by		Containment	Standard
boring	bores	Insertion	Standard
borne by		Insertion	Standard
bottled by		Insertion	Standard
bottling	bottles	Containment	Standard
bounded by		Insertion	Standard
bounding	bounds	Containment	Standard
boxed by		Insertion	Standard
boxing	boxes	Containment	Standard
bracketed by		Insertion	Standard
bracketing	brackets	Containment	Standard
breaking	breaks	Insertion	Advanced
broken by		Containment	Advanced
bunged by		Containment	Standard
bunging	bungs	Insertion	Standard
buried in		Insertion	Standard
burying	buries	Containment	Standard
canned by		Insertion	Standard
cans		Containment	Standard
captured by		Insertion	Standard
capturing	captures	Containment	Standard
carried by		Insertion	Standard
carrying	carries	Containment	Standard
cased by		Insertion	Standard
casing	cases	Containment	Standard
catching	catches	Containment	Standard
caught by	caught in	Insertion	Standard
chaps		Insertion	Advanced
charged with		Containment	Standard
charging	charges	Insertion	Standard
checked by		Insertion	Standard
checking	checks	Containment	Standard
choked by		Insertion	Standard
choking	chokes	Containment	Standard
circled by		Insertion	Standard
circling	circles	Containment	Standard
circumvented by		Insertion	Standard
circumventing	circumvents	Containment	Standard
clasped by		Insertion	Standard
clasping	clasps	Containment	Standard
clenched in		Insertion	Standard
clenching	clenches	Containment	Standard
clings to	clinging to	Containment	Standard
clipped by		Insertion	Standard
clipping	clips	Containment	Standard
closed by		Insertion	Standard
closing in	closes in	Containment	Standard
clothed by	clothed in	Insertion	Standard
clothing	clothes	Containment	Standard
clutched by		Insertion	Standard
clutching	clutches	Containment	Standard
collared by		Insertion	Standard
collaring	collars	Containment	Standard
compasses		Containment	Advanced
comprehended by		Insertion	Advanced
comprehending	comprehends	Containment	Advanced
compressed in		Insertion	Standard
compressing	compresses	Containment	Standard
comprised by		Insertion	Standard
comprising	comprises	Containment	Advanced
confined in		Insertion	Standard
confining	confines	Containment	Standard
conserved by		Insertion	Standard
conserving	conserves	Containment	Standard
constrained by		Insertion	Standard
constraining	constrains	Containment	Standard
consumed by		Insertion	Standard
consuming	consumes	Containment	Standard
contained by	contained in	Insertion	Standard
containing	contains	Containment	Standard
covered by	covered in	Insertion	Standard
covering	covers	Containment	Standard
cracked by		Containment	Advanced
cracking	cracks	Insertion	Advanced
cramped by		Insertion	Standard
cramping	cramps	Containment	Standard
crashed by	gatecrashed by	Containment	Standard
crashes	gatecrashes	Insertion	Advanced
cribbed by		Insertion	Advanced
cribbing	cribs	Containment	Advanced
crossed by		Insertion	Advanced
crossing	crosses	Containment	Advanced
crowding	crowds	Containment	Advanced
crushed by		Insertion	Standard
crushing	crushes	Containment	Standard
cuddled by		Insertion	Standard
cuddling	cuddles	Containment	Standard
cups		Containment	Advanced
curbed by		Insertion	Standard
curbing	curbs	Containment	Standard
cutting	cuts	Insertion	Standard
detained by		Insertion	Standard
detaining	detains	Containment	Standard
devoured by		Insertion	Standard
devouring	devours	Containment	Standard
digested by		Insertion	Standard
digesting	digests	Containment	Standard
divided by		Containment	Standard
dividing	divides	Insertion	Standard
dons		Insertion	Standard
drawing in	draws in	Containment	Standard
drawn in by		Insertion	Standard
drilled by		Containment	Standard
drilling	drills	Insertion	Standard
drinking	drinks	Containment	Standard
drunk		Insertion	Standard
eaten by		Insertion	Standard
eating	eats	Containment	Standard
edged by		Insertion	Standard
edging	edges	Containment	Standard
embedded in		Insertion	Standard
embedding	embeds	Containment	Advanced
embodied by		Insertion	Standard
embodying	embodies	Containment	Standard
embraced by		Insertion	Standard
embracing	embraces	Containment	Standard
encapsulated by		Insertion	Standard
encapsulating	encapsulates	Containment	Standard
encircled by		Insertion	Standard
encircling	encircles	Containment	Standard
enclosed by	enclosed in	Insertion	Standard
enclosing	encloses	Containment	Standard
encompassed by		Insertion	Standard
encompassing	encompasses	Containment	Standard
enfolded by	enfolded in	Insertion	Standard
enfolding	enfolds	Containment	Standard
engaged in	engaged by	Insertion	Standard
engaging	engages	Containment	Standard
engulfed by		Insertion	Standard
engulfing	engulfs	Containment	Standard
ensnared in		Insertion	Standard
ensnaring	ensnares	Containment	Standard
entered by		Containment	Standard
entering	enters	Insertion	Standard
entertained by		Insertion	Standard
entertaining	entertains	Containment	Standard
enthralled by		Insertion	Standard
enthralling	enthralls	Containment	Standard
enveloped by		Insertion	Standard
enveloping	envelops	Containment	Standard
environs		Containment	Advanced
externally		Containment	Standard
extra		Containment	Advanced
fed to		Insertion	Standard
fenced by		Insertion	Standard
fencing	fences	Containment	Standard
filled with	filled by	Containment	Standard
filling	fills	Insertion	Standard
flanked by		Insertion	Standard
flanking	flanks	Containment	Standard
folded in		Insertion	Advanced
folding	folds	Containment	Advanced
found in		Insertion	Standard
framed by		Insertion	Standard
framing	frames	Containment	Standard
getting around	getting about	Containment	Standard
getting hold of	gets hold of	Containment	Standard
getting into	gets into	Insertion	Standard
gobbled by		Insertion	Standard
gobbling	gobbles	Containment	Standard
going around	going about	Containment	Standard
going into	goes into	Insertion	Standard
grabbed by		Insertion	Standard
grabbing	grabs	Containment	Standard
grasped by		Insertion	Standard
grasping	grasps	Containment	Standard
griping	gripes	Containment	Advanced
gripped by		Insertion	Standard
gripping	grips	Containment	Standard
guarded by		Insertion	Standard
guarding	guards	Containment	Standard
gulped by		Insertion	Standard
gulping	gulps	Containment	Standard
harboured by		Insertion	Standard
harbouring	harbours	Containment	Standard
hedged by		Insertion	Standard
hedging	hedges	Containment	Advanced
held by	held in	Insertion	Standard
hemming	hems	Containment	Standard
hidden by	hiding in	Insertion	Standard
hiding	hides	Containment	Standard
holding	holds	Containment	Standard
hosted by		Insertion	Standard
hosting	hosts	Containment	Standard
housed in		Insertion	Standard
housing	houses	Containment	Standard
hugged by		Insertion	Standard
hugging	hugs	Containment	Standard
implicated by		Insertion	Advanced
implicating	implicates	Containment	Advanced
imprisoned in		Insertion	Standard
imprisoning	imprisons	Containment	Standard
in	inside	Insertion	Standard
included in		Insertion	Standard
including	includes	Containment	Standard
incorporated in		Insertion	Standard
incorporating	incorporates	Containment	Standard
infiltrated by		Containment	Standard
infiltrating	infiltrates	Insertion	Standard
inhabited by		Containment	Standard
inhabiting	inhabits	Insertion	Standard
inhibited by		Insertion	Standard
inhibiting	inhibits	Containment	Standard
injected with		Containment	Standard
Inspired by	inspiring/inspires	Insertion	Standard
inspired with	inspired by	Containment	Advanced
inspiring	inspires	Containment	Advanced
installed in		Insertion	Standard
installing	installs	Containment	Standard
interred in		Insertion	Standard
interrupted by		Containment	Standard
interrupting	interrupts	Insertion	Standard
intervening		Insertion	Standard
introduced by	introduced to	Insertion	Standard
introducing	introduces	Containment	Standard
invested with		Insertion	Standard
investing	invests	Containment	Advanced
involved in		Insertion	Standard
involving	involves	Containment	Standard
jammed by		Insertion	Advanced
jammed with		Containment	Standard
jamming	jams	Containment	Advanced
jamming	jams	Insertion	Standard
keeping	keeps	Containment	Standard
kept by	kept in	Insertion	Standard
lagging	lags	Containment	Advanced
lapping	laps	Containment	Advanced
limited by		Insertion	Standard
limiting	limits	Containment	Standard
lined with		Containment	Standard
lining	lines	Insertion	Standard
lips		Containment	Advanced
listed		Insertion	Advanced
listing	lists	Containment	Advanced
locked by		Insertion	Advanced
locking	locks	Containment	Advanced
nabbed by		Insertion	Standard
nabbing	nabs	Containment	Standard
nailed by		Insertion	Standard
nailing	nails	Containment	Standard
netted by		Insertion	Standard
netting	nets	Containment	Standard
nicked by		Insertion	Standard
nicking	nicks	Containment	Standard
nipped by		Insertion	Standard
nipping	nips	Containment	Standard
nobbled by		Insertion	Standard
nobbling	nobbles	Containment	Standard
nursed by		Insertion	Standard
nursing	nurses	Containment	Standard
occupied by		Containment	Standard
occupying	occupies	Insertion	Standard
outside		Containment	Standard
overwhelmed by		Insertion	Standard
overwhelming	overwhelms	Containment	Standard
packed with		Containment	Standard
packing	packs	Containment	Standard
parted by		Containment	Standard
parting	parts	Insertion	Standard
patrolled by		Insertion	Standard
patrolling	patrols	Containment	Standard
penetrated by		Containment	Standard
penetrating	penetrates	Insertion	Standard
penned by		Insertion	Standard
penning	pens	Containment	Standard
perambulating	perambulates	Containment	Advanced
picked up by		Insertion	Standard
picking up		Containment	Standard
pierced by		Containment	Standard
piercing	pierces	Insertion	Standard
pinched by		Insertion	Standard
pinching	pinches	Containment	Standard
pinned in		Insertion	Standard
pinning	pins	Containment	Advanced
plugged by		Containment	Standard
plugging	plugs	Insertion	Standard
pocketed by		Insertion	Standard
pocketing	pockets	Containment	Standard
popped by		Insertion	Advanced
popping	pops	Containment	Advanced
possessed by		Insertion	Standard
possessing	possesses	Containment	Standard
pounded by		Insertion	Advanced
pounding	pounds	Containment	Advanced
pressed by		Insertion	Standard
pressing	presses	Containment	Standard
prisons		Containment	Advanced
probed by		Containment	Standard
probing	probes	Insertion	Standard
protected by		Insertion	Standard
protecting	protects	Containment	Standard
pulled by		Insertion	Advanced
pulling	pulls	Containment	Advanced
pursed by		Insertion	Advanced
pursing	purses	Containment	Standard
put about	put round	Containment	Standard
put in	put into	Insertion	Standard
received by		Insertion	Standard
receiving	receives	Containment	Standard
repressed by		Insertion	Standard
repressing	represses	Containment	Standard
restrained by		Insertion	Standard
restraining	restrains	Containment	Standard
restricted by		Insertion	Standard
restricting	restricts	Containment	Standard
retained by		Insertion	Standard
retaining	retains	Containment	Standard
ringing	rings	Containment	Standard
round		Containment	Standard
rounded by		Insertion	Standard
rounding	rounds	Containment	Standard
sandwiched by		Insertion	Standard
sandwiches		Containment	Standard
screened by		Insertion	Standard
screening	screens	Containment	Standard
sealed by		Insertion	Advanced
sealing	seals	Containment	Advanced
secured by		Insertion	Standard
securing	secures	Containment	Standard
seized by		Insertion	Standard
seizing	seizes	Containment	Standard
set about		Containment	Standard
set in		Insertion	Standard
shared by		Containment	Advanced
sharing	shares	Insertion	Advanced
sheltered by		Insertion	Standard
sheltering	shelters	Containment	Standard
shrouded by		Insertion	Standard
shrouding	shrouds	Containment	Standard
skirted by		Insertion	Standard
skirting	skirts	Containment	Standard
slipped into		Insertion	Standard
smothered by		Insertion	Standard
smothering	smothers	Containment	Standard
smuggled by		Insertion	Advanced
smuggling	smuggles	Containment	Advanced
snared by		Insertion	Standard
snaring	snares	Containment	Standard
snuggling	snuggles	Containment	Standard
splitting	splits	Insertion	Standard
spread by		Containment	Advanced
spreading	spreads	Insertion	Advanced
squashed by		Insertion	Standard
squashing	squashes	Containment	Standard
squeezed by		Insertion	Standard
squeezing	squeezes	Containment	Standard
stalled by		Insertion	Advanced
stalling	stalls	Containment	Advanced
sticking	sticks	Insertion	Advanced
stifled by		Insertion	Standard
stifling	stifles	Containment	Standard
stopped by		Containment	Advanced
stopping	stops	Insertion	Advanced
stored in		Insertion	Standard
storing	stores	Containment	Standard
stowed in		Insertion	Standard
stowing	stows	Containment	Standard
straining	strains	Containment	Advanced
stuck with		Containment	Advanced
stuffed with		Containment	Standard
stuffing	stuffs	Insertion	Standard
sucked by		Insertion	Advanced
sucking	sucks	Containment	Advanced
suppressed by		Insertion	Standard
suppressing	suppresses	Containment	Standard
surrounded by		Insertion	Standard
surrounding	surrounds	Containment	Standard
swallowed by		Insertion	Standard
swallowing	swallows	Containment	Standard
tackled by		Insertion	Standard
tackling	tackles	Containment	Standard
taken by		Insertion	Standard
taking	takes	Containment	Standard
taking in	takes in	Containment	Standard
tapped by		Containment	Advanced
tapping	taps	Insertion	Advanced
throttled by		Insertion	Standard
throttling	throttles	Containment	Standard
thrown in	thrown into	Insertion	Standard
transfixed by		Containment	Standard
transfixing	transfixes	Insertion	Standard
trapped in		Insertion	Standard
trapping	traps	Containment	Standard
trousers		Containment	Standard
tucked into		Insertion	Standard
undoing	undoes	Insertion	Advanced
undone by		Containment	Advanced
vices		Containment	Advanced
wearing	wears	Insertion	Standard
wedged in	wedges	Insertion	Standard
wedged with		Containment	Standard
wedges		Containment	Advanced
welcomed by		Insertion	Standard
welcoming	welcomes	Containment	Standard
wimples		Containment	Advanced
winding	winds	Containment	Advanced
within		Insertion	Standard
worn by		Containment	Standard
wound by		Insertion	Advanced
wrapped in		Insertion	Standard
wrapping	wraps	Containment	Standard
wreathed in		Insertion	Standard