| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PROP UP | |
| Brace for a small boxer perhaps (4,2) | PRO + PUP | |
| 5 | VACATE | |
| Leave a pet locked in empty vehicle? (6) | (A + CAT) inside V(ehicl)E | |
| 8 | MULTIPLICATION | |
| Leader of massive political unit reviewed expansion? (14) | (M)ASSIVE + anagram of POLITICAL UNIT | |
| 10 | TREMOR | |
| Edges of timber fractured more with vibration (6) | (T)IMBE(R) + anagram of MORE | |
| 11 | COLLAPSE | |
| Scalpel manoeuvred around opening of oesophagus breaking down (8) | Anagram of SCALPEL outside (O)ESOPHAGUS | |
| 13 | OWES | |
| Offspring of widow, essentially, is in debt? (4) | widOW ESsentially | |
| 14 | MEDIA SCRUM | |
| The press gathered around doctor, drinking, for instance, alcohol (5,5) | MEDIC outside AS + RUM | |
| 17 | INSIGHTFUL | |
| Discerning one fellow implicated in hustling abroad (10) | I + F inside anagram of HUSTLING | |
| 18 | HUNT | |
| Search contents of van pulling away from hangout? (4) | HAUNT minus v(A)n | |
| 20 | ANSWERED | |
| Acknowledged bridge partners were used in publicity (8) | (N and S + WERE) inside AD | |
| 22 | WADDLE | |
| Dawdle ungainly? (6) | Anagram of DAWDLE | |
| 24 | CRUISE MISSILES | |
| Squads heard lies fabricated after failure with weapons (6,8) | Sounds like CREWS + (anagram of LIES after MISS) | |
| 25 | HEIGHT | |
| He might, after misgivings initially, summit (6) | HE + M(IGHT) | |
| 26 | ANNOYS | |
| An unfavourable response by judges ultimately causes irritation (6) | AN + NO + B(Y) + JUDGE(S) | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | RELIEVERS | |
| They back up wrong information stored in reconfigured server (9) | LIE inside anagram of SERVER | |
| 3 | POISON | |
| Toxin in marijuana mostly is concerning (6) | (PO)T + IS + ON | |
| 4 | PALE | |
| Part of fence washed out (4) | Double Definition | |
| 5 | VICTORIOUS | |
| Savage securing hill is triumphant (10) | VICIOUS outside TOR | |
| 6 | CATALYST | |
| Company, engaging one departing Italy, is manipulating agent (8) | CAST outside (ITALY minus I) | |
| 7 | TROOP | |
| Head of operations in shipping town upset military unit (5) | (O)PERATIONS inside (PORT reversed) | |
| 8 | METHODICAL | |
| Drug overdose, one caught by a large orderly (10) | METH + OD + I + C + A + L | |
| 9 | SEAMSTRESS | |
| Marine must oddly lock sewer (10) | SEA + (M)U(S)T + TRESS | |
| 12 | SETTLEMENT | |
| One leaving title with people in established colony (10) | [(TITLE minus I) + MEN] inside SET | |
| 15 | ROUNDELAY | |
| Manage to put off including love song (9) | (RUN + DELAY) outside O | |
| 16 | AGREEING | |
| A conservationist accepting one thousand dollars for reaching a settlement (8) | (A + GREEN) outside I + G | |
| 19 | PARSON | |
| Minister’s unlawful firing after termination of bishop (6) | ARSON after BISHO(P) | |
| 21 | SERVE | |
| Work for American camper during visit (5) | RV inside SEE | |
| 23 | PICA | |
| Four linked characters of typical type (4) | tyPICAl |
