Something you might sail right through?

REGATTA

["Here’s a helpful hint for your crossword clue:\n\n**\"A competitive event where boats race—think of a word that includes 'gat' as part of its name.\"**\n\nThis hint:\n- Nudges the solver toward the idea of a sailing competition.\n- Subtly points to the embedded \"gat\" in \"regatta\" without giving away the full answer.\n- Avoids repeating the original clue while making the connection easier to grasp."]

The clue **"Something you might sail right through?"** leads to the answer **"REGATTA"** through a playful combination of definition and wordplay. 1. **Definition**: A "regatta" is a competitive sailing event, so it literally involves sailing. 2. **Wordplay**: The phrase **"sail right through"** hints at the word **"regatta"** because: - **"Sail"** directly refers to sailing, reinforcing the definition. - **"Right through"** suggests that the word **"regatta"** contains the word **"gat"** (a slang term for a gun, but more importantly, phonetically similar to **"gate"**), which you might **"sail through"** (pass through easily). - Alternatively, **"regatta"** can be broken down as **"re-gat-ta"**, where **"gat"** is embedded within it, reinforcing the idea of sailing **"through"** it. Thus, the clue cleverly combines a straightforward definition with a subtle embedded wordplay to lead to the answer.