| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PLUNDERED | |
| Raided place belonging to newspaperman (9) | PL + UNDER + ED | |
| 6 | HUMPS | |
| Decision-maker in high school carries a heavy load (5) | UMP inside HS | |
| 9 | CHAMP | |
| Christmas fare replacing contents of cup? It’s a winner (5) | C(u/HAM)P | |
| 10 | APPRAISER | |
| Software developer and reviewer (9) | APP + RAISER | |
| 11 | EPISODES | |
| Beginning of each page is poetry in parts (8) | (E)ach + P + IS + ODES | |
| 12 | STRIFE | |
| Conflict is raging at end of street (6) | RIFE after ST | |
| 14 | BETA | |
| Characters written in Tibetan and Greek lettering (4) | tiBETAn | |
| 15 | SHOWINESS | |
| Finish first in shoes sprayed primarily with glitter (9) | (WIN inside SHOES) + (S)prayed | |
| 17 | SACRIFICE | |
| Give up pouch, one found originally buried in grain (9) | SAC + [I + (F)ound] inside RICE | |
| 19 | SWAG | |
| Bundle of possessions was replaced with $1000 (4) | Anagram of WAS + G | |
| 22 | IMPACT | |
| Influence a court behind the back of troublemaker (6) | (A + CT) after IMP | |
| 23 | INTERNEE | |
| Person put away popular sort of entree (8) | IN + anagram of ENTREE | |
| 25 | ARTERIOLE | |
| Small blood vessel’s tear fixed by one in part (9) | Anagram of TEAR + (I inside ROLE) | |
| 26 | TWINE | |
| String quartet’s last press release? (5) | quarte(T) + WINE | |
| 27 | TUNIS | |
| North African port is stored behind a large beer cask (5) | IS after TUN | |
| 28 | SATIRISED | |
| Seated rebel wearing ID is held up to ridicule (9) | SAT + (RISE inside ID) | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PACKET | |
| Mint wrapper (6) | Double Definition | |
| 2 | UNALIKE | |
| Damaged ulna that is broken by brick, in the end is different (7) | Anagram of ULNA + [IE outside bric(K)] | |
| 3 | DIPLOMATIC CORPS | |
| Farmer’s preparation to claim crops confused foreign representatives (10,5) | DIP + anagram of TO CLAIM CROPS | |
| 4 | READERSHIP | |
| Reds are ordered by fashionable following (10) | Anagram of REDS ARE + HIP | |
| 5 | DOPE | |
| Manage gym with one who’s not smart (4) | DO + PE | |
| 6 | HEALTH INSPECTOR | |
| Replace host wrongly pinching slim safety officer (6,9) | Anagram of REPLACE HOST outside THIN | |
| 7 | MISSIVE | |
| “Young lady, I have a letter” (7) | MISS + IVE | |
| 8 | SURCEASE | |
| Put a stop to case mismanaged in firm (8) | Anagram of CASE inside SURE | |
| 13 | GOVERNMENT | |
| Accomplished leader of normal people in great administration (10) | [OVER + (N)ormal] + MEN) inside GT | |
| 16 | ASPIRANT | |
| Hopeful one raced in a light fall of rain (8) | RAN inside (A + SPIT) | |
| 18 | CAPSTAN | |
| Winder on deck limits shade in summer (7) | CAPS + TAN | |
| 20 | AUNTIES | |
| Militia finally releases family members (7) | militi(A) + UNTIES | |
| 21 | LEGEND | |
| Famous person, say, restricted by loan (6) | EG inside LEND | |
| 24 | NOUS | |
| Intelligence is worthless to a large extent (4) | (NO US)e |
