The solved grid
1F
I
2G
H
T
3F
A
4S
C
5I
S
6M
I
R
O
N
A
7B
R
O
W
8S
E
9D
10V
I
A
L
S
E
T
U
E
E
N
T
11R
E
T
A
P
E
S
12R
E
E
V
E
O
E
P
E
R
13E
14S
A
R
T
O
R
I
A
15L
Y
N
I
T
G
O
16D
I
17S
C
O
18I
N
N
O
W
A
19Y
U
I
R
S
T
M
E
20R
A
B
B
I
21M
A
Y
D
A
Y
S
E
Y
T
S
E
22D
E
L
A
Y
E
D
23C
A
S
T
S
Across
1 Across Struggle as escape loses learner (5) → FIGHT Deletion
FLIGHT without L from the middle.
3 Across Authoritarianism from massif mixed with carbon (7) → FASCISM Anagram
Anagram of “MASSIF C”.
7 Across Skimmed material found within eyebrow sedan (7) → BROWSED Hidden word
Hidden inside “eyebrow sedan”.
10 Across Force clutching Al, small bottles (5) → VIALS Container
AL inside VIS.
11 Across Southeast, father recalled, records once more (7) → RETAPES Reversal
SE PATER reversed.
12 Across Bailiff threads rope through a pulley (5) → REEVE Double definition
Two separate definitions of the same word.
14 Across Sort a rail out, clothing-related (9) → SARTORIAL Anagram
Anagram of “SORT A RAIL”.
16 Across Heads of dogs instinctively sniff cats outdoors, nightclub (5) → DISCO Initialism
First letters of: dogs, instinctively, sniff, cats, outdoors.
18 Across Wino, nay, confused, not at all (2,2,3) → IN NO WAY Anagram
Anagram of “WINO NAY”.
20 Across Spring crop containing boron, Jewish teacher (5) → RABBI Container
B inside RABI.
21 Across Blossom times for distress calls (7) → MAYDAYS Charade
MAY + DAYS.
22 Across Delete key, affirmative, five hundred, held back (7) → DELAYED Charade
DEL + AYE + D.
23 Across Throws about streets (5) → CASTS Charade
CA + STS.
Down
1 Down Little lie with hesitation: American roughage (5) → FIBER Charade
FIB + ER.
2 Down Trots go awry, forming ornamental caves (7) → GROTTOS Anagram
Anagram of “trots go”.
4 Down Self-governance from storey given makeover (11) → SOVEREIGNTY Anagram
Anagram of “storey given”.
5 Down Ian's Annie, alternately, seems vapid (5) → INANE Alternate letters
Every other letter of “Ian's Annie”, starting with the first.
6 Down Expertise from Roman thousand, flower and yttrium (7) → MASTERY Charade
M + ASTER + Y.
8 Down Upper hand from refurbished priory suite (11) → SUPERIORITY Anagram
Anagram of “PRIORY SUITE”.
9 Down Germany's mark, creed, absolute power (9) → DESPOTISM Charade
DE + SPOT + ISM.
13 Down Survived after renovating rude den (7) → ENDURED Anagram
Anagram of “rude den”.
15 Down Miss Sam Wolf conceals, in reverse, a quiet service (3,4) → LOW MASS Hidden backwards
Hidden backwards inside “miss sam wolf”.
17 Down Middles of basin, sir, table, dryer, salad, ancient oracle (5) → SIBYL Middle letters
Middle letters of: basin, sir, table, dryer, salad.
19 Down Positive answers, in eyes especially (5) → YESES Hidden word
Hidden inside “eyes especially”.
How this puzzle was checked
Every clue in this crossword was verified against its own wordplay by
software, then the finished puzzle was read and edited by hand before
publication: definitions, indicators, enumerations and surface readings
all get looked at, and clues that don't hold up are rewritten. The
editorial standards set out what that
covers.
Spotted something wrong here? Email
badclues@decryptic.app and
this page will be corrected. See the
corrections policy.
