The tough quality that can put an edge on things(5 letters)

Below is the answer to the crossword clue “The tough quality that can put an edge on things”, taken from the Evening Standard's Cryptic crossword on 2nd July 2025.

The answer is

S T E E L

5 letters · most recently seen on 2nd July 2025

Other clues that solve to STEEL

The same answer often re-appears with different clues over the years. Tap a clue to open its answer page, or the date to jump straight to that day's puzzle.

#30 across Iron alloy (5) 4th July 2026
#37 across It's hard to be both a saint and a slippery customer (5) 23rd June 2026
#17 down Brace (5) 19th June 2026
#31 across Iron alloy (5) 14th June 2026
#4 down Something hard that can give you an edge (5) 20th May 2026
#2 down Iron alloy (5) 22nd April 2026
#33 down Alloy (5) 26th February 2026
#5 down Iron alloy (5) 19th February 2026
#27 across It's hard being a former party leader (5) 1st February 2026
#10 across Something hard for a butcher to use? (5) 24th January 2026
#5 down Iron alloy (5) 8th January 2026
#12 down An iron container (5) 5th January 2026
#31 across Iron alloy (5) 6th December 2025
#26 across Iron alloy (5) 4th October 2025
#4 down To thieve, we hear, is something hard (5) 1st October 2025
#4 down There's plenty of iron in it (5) 11th September 2025
#31 across Iron alloy (5) 30th July 2025
#4 down The tough quality that can put an edge on things (5) 2nd July 2025
#3 across Something hard to pinch, we hear (5) 25th December 2024
#5 down Iron alloy (5) 21st March 2024
#31 across There's plenty of iron in it (5) 1st February 2024
#2 down The hard stuff one may keep in the kitchen (5) 10th July 2023
#7 down Iron alloy (5) 8th June 2023
#26 across Iron alloy (5) 28th February 2023
#26 down It's hard, but makes for greater incisiveness (5) 18th January 2023
#31 across Something hard to steal, it's said (5) 15th November 2022
#16 down Iron alloy (5) 9th November 2022
#16 down A lord, a saint and a well-known swimmer (5) 8th November 2022
#26 across Iron alloy (5) 14th September 2022
#6 down A hard place to drive in the outskirts of Southall (5) 18th August 2022
#33 across Something hard for the butcher to take in hand? (5) 16th August 2022
#27 down Iron alloy (5) 10th August 2022
#6 across Iron alloy (5) 27th June 2022
#6 down Iron alloy (5) 13th June 2022
#26 across Sort of band a butcher could take in hand? (5) 31st May 2022
#42 across Brace (5) 11th May 2022
#30 down Iron alloy (5) 4th April 2022
#31 across Iron alloy (5) 14th March 2022
#4 down Iron alloy (5) 23rd December 2021
#17 down Brace (5) 10th December 2021

More clues from this puzzle

Other clues from the same Evening Standard Cryptic crossword on 2nd July 2025. Tap Reveal to see an answer, or click the clue to open its own page.

#1 down Raise an army, albeit having faint heart (5)
#2 down Indignant discouragement from Lady Guinevere (5)
#3 down Sort of singing cats are capable of? (4)
#4 across To burden a person unhappy and led astray (6)
#5 down What's the score? (4)
#6 down City of growing pride (6)
#7 across Possibly to cover a garment (8)
#8 across Causing vessels to sink when afloat! (6)
#9 down Happen to live for just one season (6)
#10 across These can make one kind of music (5)