| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | TOSS-UP | |
| To cat running around, it’s a close thing (4-2) | TO + (PUSS reversed) | |
| 5 | FACADE | |
| Show air-conditioning in decline (6) | AC in FADE | |
| 9 | SINGAPORE | |
| Asian capital annoyed about current breach (9) | SORE outside (IN + GAP) | |
| 10 | ROUGE | |
| Cosmetic surgeon, extremely deficient, adjusted? (5) | Anagram of s)URGEO(n | |
| 11 | TWO-TIMER | |
| Write tome mostly about one who cheats (3-5) | Anagram of (WRITE TOM)e | |
| 12 | BETTER | |
| Improving person who plays to win (6) | Double Definition | |
| 14 | SALES PITCH | |
| This place rocked after Sia’s opening line (5,5) | Anagram of THIS PLACE after (S)ia | |
| 15 | GROG | |
| Success not contributing to growing spirits, for example (4) | GROWING minus WIN | |
| 17 | A LOT | |
| Many fall out not feeling the effects of flu (1,3) | (f)A(l)L O(u)(T) | |
| 19 | FORECASTER | |
| One who looks ahead for clubs in holiday time (10) | FOR + (C inside EASTER) | |
| 22 | THE DRY | |
| Drive taken by people in general when it’s not raining (3,3) | DR inside THEY | |
| 23 | STALWART | |
| Resolute person amended law in institute (8) | Anagram of LAW inside START | |
| 25 | OF AGE | |
| Adult’s cigarette pinched by heartless one? (2,3) | FAG inside O(n)E | |
| 26 | ENSCONCED | |
| Established science once incorporated into design (9) | (SC + ONCE) inside END | |
| 27 | BRIDAL | |
| Rib broken by young fellow set back wedding (6) | Anagram of RIB + (LAD reversed) | |
| 28 | SIMMER | |
| Dieter dismissing large cook gently (6) | SLIMMER minus L | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | OWN GOAL | |
| A log now incorrectly listed a scoring error (3,4) | Anagram of A LOG NOW | |
| 3 | SCARIEST | |
| One embraced by drunken actress is most frightening (8) | I inside anagram of ACTRESS | |
| 4 | PROGENITOR | |
| Experienced one interrupting fellow or parent? (10) | PRO + (I inside GENT) + OR | |
| 5 | FLEW | |
| Learner, with hardly any around, travelled at great speed (4) | L inside FEW | |
| 6 | CARTER | |
| Leader of Turkiye embraced by tender old US president (6) | (T)urkiye inside CARER | |
| 7 | DOUBTER | |
| Finish time in taxi with one holding reservation (7) | DO + (T inside UBER) | |
| 8 | REFRIGERATED | |
| Sports official judged after outfit heading to exit cooled down (12) | REF + [RATED after RIG + (E)xit] | |
| 9 | SATISFACTION | |
| Justice sat with island minority group (12) | SAT + IS + FACTION | |
| 13 | SCIENTISTS | |
| One wearing perfume sits awkwardly with lab workers (10) | I inside SCENT + anagram of SITS | |
| 16 | BALLROOM | |
| Dance hall entirely checked by cleaner (8) | ALL inside BROOM | |
| 18 | ONE PAIR | |
| Open damaged vent with weak hand (3,4) | Anagram of OPEN + AIR | |
| 20 | TRANCHE | |
| US stockholder bound by limits of tradeable block of shares? (7) | RANCH inside (T)radeabl(E) | |
| 21 | FRIEND | |
| Devil taking possession of king’s companion (6) | FIEND outside R | |
| 24 | CELL | |
| Small group of people returned items from collection (4) | coLLECtion reversed |
