The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 82, Sunday 15 Nov 2026, Dr. X

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ACROSS

1   Have to break up, crushed by ultimately cruel, abusive type of relationship (4-4) LOVE-HATE {HAVE+TO}* in {c..eL}{a...vE}

5   Recognises leader of ultras leaving stadium slyly (6) ADMITS STADIuM*

10 Reasonable plan to tour Spain and Norway (7) TENABLE {T{E}{N}ABLE}

11 Lasted longer than rum-drinking wino on vacation (7) OUTWORE {OUT{WinO}RE}

12 Paper screen in small house on Japanese island (5) SHOJI {S}{HO}{J}{I}

13 Juvenile is excited about band's first electronic track (9) PUBESCENT {UP<=}{Ba..s}{El...c}{SCENT}

14 Misunderstand what inept lineman might do? (Continued in 24 Across) (3,4,5,7) GET ONES WIRES CROSSED [DD]

18 Back pain overwhelms player, finally getting substitute (6,6) SECOND STRING {SECOND}{ST{p...eR}ING}

21 Lack of content in doctored Epstein files ultimately saves many (9) EMPTINESS {EPSTEIN+f..eS}* over {M}

23 Plant on the counter in abbey, exotic (5) OXEYE [T<=]

24 See 14 (7)

25 I beg crew frantically to avoid wide hazard at sea (7) ICEBERG {I+BEG+CREw}*

26 Madness perhaps, wasting millions for saloon-cars (6) SEDANS mADNESS*

27 Troublemaker is dressed to a T in a revolutionary outfit (8) AGITATOR {TO+A+T}* in {A}{RIG<=}

DOWN

1   Halt is unexpected, getting rather delayed (6) LATISH*

2   Hawker roved all over the place around noon (6) VENDOR {VE{N}DOR*}

3   Scottish islander and hot European go into bar (9) HEBRIDEAN {H}{E}{B{RIDE}AN}

4   Complete final tasks and sleep outside on ground (3,2,5,4) TIE UP LOOSE ENDS*

6   Turning despondent about extremely terrible times (5) DATES {SAD<=} over {Te...lE}

7   I attempt to achieve a certain equality of measure (8) ISOMETRY {I}{SOME}{TRY}

8   The Spanish model in a little sexy undergarment is most lissom (8) SVELTEST {Sexy}{V{EL}{T}EST}

9   Winning nothing? Big scoundrel's slyly cheating (6-8) DOUBLE-CROSSING {0} on {BIG+SCOUNDRELS}*

15 Most delectable brew in some stylish bottles (9) WINSOMEST [T]

16 Qualities of Jewish ascetics adopting principle of celibacy (8)  ESSENCES {ESSEN{Ce...y}ES}

17 Chap is extremely old, breaks bone (8) SCAPHOID {CHAP+IS+OlD}*

19 Be ashamed of English prince involved in rift (6) REPENT {R{E}{P}ENT}

20 Part of former German alliance (6) MERGER [T]

22 Revolutionary heroine's biopic enthrals Norwegian playwright (5) IBSEN [T<=]

Reference List

Spain = E, Norway = N, Small = S, House = HO, Japanese = J, Island = I, Excited = UP, Electronic = E, Many = M, Wide = W, Millions = M, Noon = N, Hot = H, European = E, The in Spanish = EL, Model = T, English = E, Prince = P

No 14948, Saturday 14 November 2026, Gridzilla

 ACROSS
6 One may help in identifying Spooner's gentle horse (7) NAMETAG {Spoonerism of Tame Nag}
7 Make use of a screen in the auditorium (5) AVAIL {A}{~VEIL}
9 Trauma is caused by shock, mainly (4) SCAR {SCARe}
10 A place one barely enjoys? (6,4) NUDIST CAMP [CD]
11 Frequently goes abroad, for nothing (5-3) GOOSE EGG [Letter Bank of GOES]
13 & 16D That Ola stopped moving (6,2,1,4) GROUND TO A HALT {THAT OLA}* [RA]
15 For starters, it usually takes eons to withdraw case (4) ETUI [Acrostic<]
17 Grinder is good, after directions are switched (5) MOLAR {MO(-r+L)LA(-l+R)R} Moral with R and L interchanged.

18 Not the first to hang up? (4) OVER {hOVER}
19 Way from podcaster's house (6) MANNER {~MANOR}
20 Annoyed? No (6,2) GRATED ON {NO*} [RA]
23 Gets ready for a shooting? (4,6) SAYS CHEESE [CD]
26 Work quota doubles around lunchtime (4) TOIL {LOT<} around I
27 A prickly plant from south or north (5) THORN [T]
28 Take that drunkard in! (2,5) SO THERE {SOT}{HERE}

DOWN
1 Caricature of senior MP is funny (10) IMPRESSION*
2 Catholic chaps reconcile immediately (2,4) AT ONCE {ATON{C}E}
3 Old footage deceived cops (4) AGED [T]
4 Superintendent taking guards for a little nightly stress buster (8) MASSAGER {MA(-n+SS)SSAGER} Manager with N replaced by SS
5 Secular man essentially hired by Indian insurance company (4) LAIC {L{mAn}IC}
6 A child shares no snack (5) NACHO {N{A}{CH}O}

8 Daily in Paris, one avoids drink (2,5) LE MONDE {LEMONaDE}

12 Extremely unusual silence surrounds labour camp (5) GULAG {UnusuaL} in {GAG}

14 Where a pedicurist should focus, being alert? (2,4,4) ON ONE'S TOES [C&DD]
16 See 13A
17 I'm prone casually after consuming heroin and another drug (8) MORPHINE {IM PRONE}* around H
21 Least bothered about reading notifications? (6) ALERTS {LEAST}* around R
22 Friendly dogs love chilling (2,3) ON ICE {NICE}<=>{O}
24 Out to kill, for the most part (4) SHOO {SHOOt}
25 Tongue, by itself, has no trace of pathology (4) ERSE {pER SE}

REFERENCE LIST

R and L=Directions (Right and Left), Catholic=C, Guards=SS, One=A, Heroin=H, Reading=R, Love=0=O.