| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SCRAPES | |
| Vessel with cargo of inferior ecstasy hits rock bottom? (7) | SS outside (CRAP + E) | |
| 5 | BITUMEN | |
| Big contracted trade union workers tarred road (7) | BI(g) + TU + MEN | |
| 9 | INTRAVENOUS DRIP | |
| Drug supplier, in drug-induced state, pushed around greedy detective (11,4) | (IN + TRIP) outside (RAVENOUS + D) | |
| 10 | GROVEL | |
| Small wood facing large fawn (6) | GROVE + L | |
| 11 | ADHESION | |
| Firm contact had switched sound around (8) | Anagram of HAS + (NOISE reversed) | |
| 13 | OVER THE TOP | |
| Brazen male, with backing of corporation, is flamboyant (4,3,3) | OVERT + HE + (POT reversed) | |
| 15 | BEAT | |
| Defeat brutal person without weapons ultimately (4) | BEAST minus weapon(S) | |
| 18 | ROOK | |
| Cheat is caught – given up by criminal (4) | CROOK minus C | |
| 19 | FRANCHISEE | |
| Authorised dealer from large farm is in charge (10) | (RANCH + IS) inside FEE | |
| 21 | SWEARING | |
| Promising auditor buoyed by a change of fortune (8) | EAR inside SWING | |
| 22 | PERSIA | |
| Is agent withdrawn by a part of Asia once? (6) | (IS + REP) reversed + A | |
| 25 | TRANSFIGURATION | |
| Change to form replaced unfair GST with fixed allowance (15) | Anagram of UNFAIR GST + RATION | |
| 26 | DREADED | |
| A deed falsely initiated by doctor is awful (7) | Anagram of A DEED after DR | |
| 27 | SCENTED | |
| Time put into display by head of department featuring perfume (7) | T inside SCENE + (D)epartment | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SWING DOOR | |
| Flapper’s gown is tossed around party room initially (5,4) | Anagram of GOWN IS outside DO + (R)oom | |
| 2 | RATIO | |
| Operation not limited by unrestricted correspondence (5) | OPERATION without OPEN on the outside | |
| 3 | PLACENTA | |
| Political group raised money given by a supplier in development (8) | ALP reversed + CENT +A | |
| 4 | SEEK | |
| Look for outspoken member of Hindu sect (4) | Sounds-like SIKH | |
| 5 | BLOODHOUND | |
| Detective left hood beaten up in vault (10) | (l + anagram of HOOD) inside BOUND | |
| 6 | TOSSER | |
| One having a fling ordered roses after short time (6) | Anagram of ROSES after T | |
| 7 | MERCILESS | |
| Hard relic fractured in hot water (9) | Anagram of RELIC inside MESS | |
| 8 | NIP IN | |
| Form of identification needed after Northern Ireland visit (3,2) | PIN after NI | |
| 12 | BEAR IN MIND | |
| Remember drunken marine wearing tie (4,2,4) | Anagram of MARINE inside BIND | |
| 14 | EXONERATE | |
| Clear old friend, one found with speed (9) | EX + ONE + RATE | |
| 16 | THE DAMNED | |
| Condemned people hated men converted by reverend at the end (3,6) | Anagram of HATED MEN + reveren(D) | |
| 17 | SHOELACE | |
| Holes fixed by fine line used to secure footwear (8) | Anagram of HOLES + ACE | |
| 20 | PRISED | |
| Used leverage to lift end of floorboard behind piano (6) | [RISE + floorboar(D)] after P | |
| 21 | SITED | |
| Having vision, it’s said, put in place (5) | Sounds like SIGHTED | |
| 23 | STINT | |
| Period pieces collected by Justin Trudeau (5) | juSTIN Trudeau | |
| 24 | GUNS | |
| Weapons, compact, turned up (4) | SNUG reversed |
