Crossword Genius

Stop when lad with new stilts takes a tumble (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

standstill

'stop' is the definition.
(standstill is a kind of stop)

'lad with new stilts takes a tumble' is the wordplay.
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'new' becomes 'n'.
'takes a tumble' indicates anagramming the letters.
'lad'+'n'+'stilts'='ladnstilts'
'ladnstilts' is an anagram of 'STANDSTILL'.

'when' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for standstill that I've seen before include "Perhaps jam" , "lack of movement" , "negation of motion" , "Complete stop" , "stoppage" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.