No 14934, Wednesday 28 Oct 2026, Afterdark

Solution to 23A 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   Taxes a member at East Germany (6) IMPOST {1}{MP}{OST} POS issue

4   Dispense ORT after a serious shortage at the front (6) ASSORT {ORT}<=>{A}{Se...s}{Sh...e}

8   Matador in Guatemala's somewhat affectionate (7) ADORING [T]

9   Desperately needs intervention of medical examiner in the estate (7) DEMESNE {DE{ME}SNE*}

11 Side rattled with maiden, bowler finishes early by gut (10) DISEMBOWEL {SIDE*}{M}{BOWLEr*} Anind missing

12 Expression of displeasure as purse is picked at the front (4) OUCH pOUCH

13 An apparatus for breathing given to learner in South Africa (5) SCUBA {S{CUB}A}

14 A diversion in team performance (8) SIDESHOW {SIDE}{SHOW}

16 A runner has society's peripheral, perhaps (8) SPRINTER {S}{PRINTER}

18 Pandemonium at church, one obliges to vacate (5) CHAOS {CH}{A}{Ob...eS}

20 Teak, Rowan, Elm, Elders roots make a big plant (4) TREE Acrostic

21 Consensus is strong, without leader its rarity (10) SOLIDARITY {SOLID}{rARITY}

23 Joined in board, rainy in the flanks but has no trace of moisture (4-3) ?O?E-?R?  

24 In part, husband at India interferes to constrain (7) INHIBIT {IN}{BIT} over {H}{I}

25 Fires drunk outside general hospital on Sunday (6) LIGHTS {LI{GH}T}{S}

26 Tucker Nelson's heart is at centre (6) KERNEL [tucKER+NELson]

DOWN

1   Primate is seen behind ridge, hiding (5) INDRI [T]

2   Upstart's standard very elementary, to begin with no clues essentially (7) PARVENU {PAR}{V}{El...y}{N}{clUes}

3   Son and first brother persist to clean a hard surface, say (9) SANDBLAST {S}{AND}{Br...r}{LAST}

5   That lady will attack (5) SHELL SHE'LL

6   Coroner ousts a section that is demanding (7) ONEROUS [T]

7   Dogged cousin ate rolls (9) TENACIOUS*

10 Sponge cake made by small women is featuring on special list (5,4) SWISS ROLL {S}{W}{IS}{S}{ROLL}

13 Magnificent bird sighted at the biggest NFL game (5,4) SUPER BOWL {SUPERB}{OWL}

15 Reportedly clergy recruited a rogue at church leading to corruption (9) DECADENCE {(~dean)DE{CAD}EN}{CE}

17 A cold person's in charge at electricity board above work unit (7) ICEBERG {IC}{EB}{ERG}

19 Fusion in raga overcoming resistance leads to charge (7) ARRAIGN {A+RAGA}* over {R}

21 Pothole on street at the parade (5) STRUT {RUT}<=>{ST}

22 Getting money at Qatar on time is testing (5) TRIAL {RIAL}<=>{T}

Reference List

Member = MP, East in German = OST, Medical examiner = ME, Maiden = M, Society = S, Church = CH, Husband = H, India = I, General Hospital = GH, Sunday = S, Standard = PAR, Very = V, No = N, Son = S, Small = S, Women = W, Special = S, Church = CE, In charge = IC, Electricity Board = EB, Resistance = R, Time = T

No 14933, Tuesday 27 Oct 2026, KrisKross

Solution to 3D 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   Assign setter's place at end of table (6) IMPUTE {I'M}{PUT}{t..lE}

4   Venerable members of crusade meet secretly in retreat (8) ESTEEMED [T<=]

10 Healthy boxer is against bananas (9) ALIMENTAL {ALI}{MENTAL}

11 Worm's stroke of luck (5) FLUKE [DD]

12 Crowd laments over losing last of matches and rubber (7) MASSEUR {MASS}{RUEs<=}

13 Team's turn to play in pub and sing drunkenly (7) INNINGS {INN}{SING*}

14 In America, son of immigrants rejected? That's wrong (5) NISEI {IE}{SIN}<=

15 Takes possession of international banks, having power (8) IMPOUNDS {I}{M{P}OUNDS}

18 One Malayali winning preliminary race, cycling all around One Malayali leaving America wins preliminary race, cycling all around(2,3,3) IN THE AIR {1}{NaIR} over {(+t)THEA(-t)} Clue being edited by KrisKross

20 Work in short-sleeved shirt and lightweight hat (5) TOPEE {T{OP}EE}

23 Muscles love running free! (7) ABSOLVE {ABS}{LOVE*} 

25 Cooked nan - neat dish perhaps (7) ANTENNA*

26 Rebellious soldiers welcomed by the old adversary (5) ENEMY {Y{MEN}E}<=

27 Creature often contaminating kitchens, running over appliances, creating havoc primarily (9) COCKROACH Acrostic &lit

28 Beast with tip of ear cut, caught in a net, writhing (8) ANTELOPE {Ear}{LOP} in {A}{NET*}

29 I essentially check and fix - do it right! (6) EDITOR {chEck}{DO+IT}*{R} Semi&lit

DOWN

1   Following onset of insomina, old queen gets tablet (4,4) IPAD MINI {In...a}{PADMINI}

2   Churchmen in US state surrounded by troublemakers (7) PRIESTS {P{RI}ESTS}

3   Cutting piece of cloth, start to wrap present afterwards (9) T?E?E?I?H (Addendum - THEREWITH {TWITcH} over {HERE}) 

5   Egotism of man going through elaborate profile in Outook (4-10) SELF-IMPORTANCE {M} through {PROFILE*} in {STANCE}

6   Delicate fellow bathed in Northbound river (5) ELFIN {NI{F}LE<=}

7   Evil demon controlling ancient city felt sad (7) MOURNED {MO{UR}NED*}

8   Elegant English ship stops, having no water (6) DRESSY {DR{E}{SS}Y}

9   How to create acute pain, worry about something trivial? (5,2,1,6) STORM IN A TEACUP {ACUTE+PAIN}* [RA]

16 Fan turned out to be ignorant (9) UNTUTORED*

17 Tech giant announced "Warning!" symbol (8) METAPHOR {META}{(~fore)PHOR}

19 Developing space agency mostly with American money (7) NASCENT {NASa}{CENT}

21 Aim to cut long ornament (7) PENDANT {P{END}ANT}

22 Beware! Machinery has rotating device (6) CAMERA [T<=]

24 Expression of amusement describing unknown American firm (5) LOYAL {LOL} over {Y}{A}

Reference List

Muscles = ABS, The old = YE, Right = R, Man = M, Fellow = F, Ancient city = UR, English = E, Ship = SS, Unknown = Y, American = A