Wordplay devices

Hidden words

In some clues, a hidden word may be ensconced in a longer word or phrase. (These are also known as telescopic clues.) Hidden-word indicators generally fall into one of three categories depending on their directionality:

Phrase conceals solution, e.g., containing, providing, with
Solution hides in phrase, e.g., involved in, part of, in
Partial phrase, e.g., in part, somewhat, a bit

Indicators in the last group may go before or after the fodder that hides the solution.

Tossed a piece of cosmic asteroid (4)

The answer to this clue is CAST, which is hidden (a piece of) cosmiC ASTeroid.

Along with anagrams, hidden-word clues are among the easiest to solve since the entire solution is spelled out somewhere in the clue.