NICE 26, 09 Sep 2026, IIT Chennai

No 14892, Monday 07 Sep 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 7D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Give me solicitor accepting Euros (4,3) METE OUT {ME}{T{E}OUT}

5   First to finish, Italian gentleman passes over (7) IGNORES (-s)IGNORE(+s)S

9   Transformers communicate with this drunk Chilean man? Find out! (7,8) MACHINE LANGUAGE {CHILEAN+MAN}*{GUAGE}

10 Guess working after retirement is hell! (7)  INFERNO {INFER}{ON<=}

11 A seed, it magically conceives (7) IDEATES*

12 Fish out millions for parlour (5) SALON SALmON

13 King's quality time wasted for a snake (5) KRAIT {K}{tRAIT}

14 Go bankrupt without one (3) RUN RUiN

15 Plant scents, ignored at times (3) SET ScEnTs

17 Generous anchor going back to Sony at last! (5) ROOMY {MOOR<=}{sonY}

18 Fellow with second-hand joint (5) FUSED {F}{USED}

21 Married Buddhist monk returns, enshrining eleven of the greatest values (7) MAXIMAL {M}{LAMA<=} over {XI}

22 Some hoodlum brag evokes resentment (7) UMBRAGE [T]

23 Every bull and noble died foolishly in front of small golden-haired gals (8,7) PEROXIDE BLONDES {PER}{OX}}{NOBLE+DIED}*{S}

24 Paramour loses head and fight's cut short! (7) OVERDUE {lOVER}{DUEl}

25 Managed palace without slightest of tension or bitterness (7) RANCOUR {RAN}{COURt}

DOWN

1   Silent dumb shows killing men and women with babies (7) MUMMIES {MUM}{MImES}

2   Time to move with most comprehensive understanding (7)  TACTFUL {T}{ACT}{FULl}

3   Working around extremely small letter (7) OMICRON {O{MICRO}N}

4   New Greek foe told about source of wisdom (4,2,9) TREE OF KNOWLEDGE*

5   Murg biryani name spreads - one's root! (9,6) IMAGINARY NUMBER*

6   No! No American eagle at court to disregard! (7) NEGLECT {N}{EaGLE}{CT}

7   It generates power for player (7) R?A?T?R (Addendum - REACTOR {RE}{ACTOR} - See comments)

8   Tramples kid of spouse from earlier marriage (7) STEPSON {STEPS ON}

15 Part-time expert's broken promise (7) SEMIPRO*

16 Spooner's copy of document sent over net to a big plant without charge (3-4) TAX-FREE (~fax tree to tax free) What is a 'Fax Tree'?

17 Poets freshly rendered, possibly extemporised (7) REMIXED {REMIXED+POETS}*=EXTEMPORISED [CA]

18 When upset, Robin synthesises Spiderman's protein? (7) FIBROIN {IF<=}{ROBIN*}

19 Love going into beach to shop every so often for devil (2-3-2) SO-AND-SO {S{0}AND}{ShOp}

20 Doctor left out lower chest (7) DRESSER {DR}{lESSER}

Reference List

Euros = E, Millions = M, King = K, Time = T, Fellow = F, Married = M, Small = S, Men = M, No = N, Court = CT, Left = L