The solved grid
1Q
U
2A
R
3R
E
L
4R
I
5S
E
6S
U
E
A
E
E
T
7A
I
R
D
R
O
8P
9P
U
D
G
Y
S
A
E
L
L
A
E
10A
L
T
E
R
C
A
T
I
O
N
S
R
O
S
C
S
11R
I
12G
H
T
H
A
N
13D
14S
O
E
I
K
15L
16C
O
N
T
R
O
17V
E
R
S
Y
Y
Y
D
E
O
T
B
18M
A
C
H
O
19R
E
L
A
B
E
L
P
L
L
T
A
U
20H
Y
E
N
A
21W
R
A
N
G
L
E
Across
1 Across Tiff as Raquel, rook, goes wild (7) → QUARREL Anagram
Anagram of “raquel r”.
4 Across Ascends within mirror is essential (5) → RISES Hidden word
Hidden inside “mirror is essential”.
7 Across Tune before fall for delivery from above (7) → AIRDROP Charade
AIR + DROP.
9 Across Plump dessert with gram and unknown (5) → PUDGY Charade
PUD + G + Y.
10 Across Row as change precedes positive ion (11) → ALTERCATION Charade
ALTER + CATION.
11 Across Trusted aide from hard thing reformed (5,4) → RIGHT HAND Anagram
Anagram of “hard thing”.
16 Across Furore from rosy convert, disturbed (11) → CONTROVERSY Anagram
Anagram of “rosy convert”.
18 Across Virile as openers of men always choose handsome outfits (5) → MACHO Initialism
First letters of: men, always, choose, handsome, outfits.
19 Across Rename returning in Caleb alert (7) → RELABEL Hidden backwards
Hidden backwards inside “Caleb alert”.
20 Across Laugh clutching longing for savannah scavenger (5) → HYENA Container
YEN inside HA.
21 Across Squabble as gal wren runs wild (7) → WRANGLE Anagram
Anagram of “gal wren”.
Down
1 Down Distant beacons within aqua sarsaparilla (7) → QUASARS Hidden word
Hidden inside “aqua sarsaparilla”.
2 Down Ace on age above hill for lawn tool (7) → AERATOR Charade
A + ERA + TOR.
3 Down Scarcer when rooks hold land measure (5) → RARER Container
ARE inside RR.
4 Down Copy for agent with lithium and calcium (7) → REPLICA Charade
REP + LI + CA.
5 Down Reformed deans' car (5) → SEDAN Anagram
Anagram of “deans”.
6 Down Eye infections from fashions losing fifty (5) → STYES Deletion
STYLES without L from the middle.
8 Down Wall coater with soft final before right (9) → PLASTERER Charade
P + LAST + ERE + R.
12 Down A long do ruined Venetian craft (7) → GONDOLA Anagram
Anagram of “a long do”.
13 Down Scumbag from big drat mangled (7) → DIRTBAG Anagram
Anagram of “big drat”.
14 Down Be sulky refashioned into azure (3,4) → SKY BLUE Anagram
Anagram of “be sulky”.
15 Down Body fluid from adverbial ending with speed unit (5) → LYMPH Charade
LY + MPH.
16 Down Bike spotted in policy clerk (5) → CYCLE Hidden word
Hidden inside “policy clerk”.
17 Down Book with tantalum for African river (5) → VOLTA Charade
VOL + TA.
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
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corrections policy.
