No 14849, Saturday 18 July 2026, Afterdark

 ACROSS
1 Overlooking last XI (6) BESIDE {BE}{SIDE}
4 Actions that harm oneself ends after wife stops working( 3,5) OWN GOALS {GOALS}<=>{O{W}N}
10 Locks up a member and boys outside Rhode Island (9) IMPRISONS {I}{MP}{RI}{SONS}
11 Domain is free essentially, entered URL finally in the morning (5) REALM {fREe}{A{urL}M}
12 Doctor Lily not beginning to sound funny without emotion (5) DRILY {DR}{lILY}
13 Not very cold, excited vacationist expresses fullness (9) SATIATION {vAcTIONIST}*
14 Initially Phil Edmunds mishit; it's more irritating (7) PESKIER {Phil}{Edmunds}{SKIER}
16 Foretold bishop Oscar's daughter; escape first( 4) BODE {B}{O}{D}{Escape}
19 Father entering open house to have fish (4) OPAH {O}{PA}{H}

21 Chap's wearing jumper? No, it's the other way, at deserts (7) MAROONS MA{ROO}N'S
24 Coloured metal, copper with a bit of tungsten in it to add colour (9) TINCTURED {TIN}{C{Tungsten}U}{RED}
25 Chief Officer...(5) MAJOR [DD}
26...to crave for time to get some vacation ultimately (5) YEARN {YEAR}{vacatioN}
27 Approach of nice men is comical, retaining millions with some impunity (9) IMMINENCE {NICE MEN}* around {M}{Impunity}
28 Reorganises structure to identify people who are usually late?! (8) DELAYERS {DE-LAYERS}
29 Medico admitted one sibling for contraction of pupil (6) MIOSIS {M{I}O}{SIS}

DOWN
1Extravagant praises from bud's lip, but essentially spinning (8) BUILDUPS {BUDS LIPS bUt}*
2 Son, in a frenzy opts to buy pastry for the weepiest (8) SOPPIEST {S}+{PIE} in {OPTS}*
3 Glorify editor's comeback providing eulogy at close (5) DEIFY {ED<}{IF}{eulogY}
5 Clothes are left here at Washington quietly, but taken back later (7) WASHTUB {WA}{SH}{BUT<}
6 European medic stocks drug from plant (9) GERMANDER {GERMAN}{D{E}R}

7 Rampart in a war dismantled 50% near the ingress at the borders (6) ABATIS {A}{BATtle}{IngresS}
8 It's sin in Christianity to get spin regularly using money spending energy (6) SIMONY {SpIn}{MONeY}
9 Cat, say Tom ultimately reaches river range (6) MOUSER {toM}{OUSE}{R}
15 Powerlessness of a member leads to 0-10 consequence initially by day's end (9) IMPOTENCY {I}{MP}{O}{TEN}{Consequence}{daY}
17 Stock market index now does jiggery-pokery first to manipulate (3,5) DOW JONES {NOW DOES Jiggery-pokery}*
18 Supplanters at America control royal purse (8) USURPERS {US}{R PURSE}*

20 Husband demolishing front of wall for hound dog (7) HARRIER {H}bARRIER}

21 Communication devices for system on steamships essentially (6) MODEMS {MODE}{steaMShips}
22 Banned on street? Yes, by democrat (6) STAYED {ST}{AYE}{D}
23 Ultimate objective is a new Dell contraption (3-3) END-ALL {A N DELL}*
25 Guy having idli frequently in Indian city (5) MANDI {MAN}{iDlI}

REFERENCE LIST

Wife=W, Very=V, Cold=C, A=1=I, Member=MP, Rhode Island=RI, Morning=AM, Doctor=DR, Bishop=B, Oscar=O, Daughter=D, Father=Pa, Open House=OH, Copper=Cu, Millions=M, Medico =MO (Medical Officer), Son=S, Editor=Ed, Washington=WA, Drug=E (Ecstasy), Energy=E, Range=R, 0=O, Royal=R, Street=ST, New=N.

No 14848, Friday 17 Jul 2026, Afterdark

Artwork by Prasanna

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ACROSS

1   Say, Lily's working to acquire new apparatus to disperse crowds (5,6) WATER CANNON {WATER CAN}{ON} over {N}

7   Trap bachelor with girl (3) BAG {BA}{G}

9   Setback after Republican's order had repetitions (5) ROTES {SET<=}<=>{R}{O}

10 Careless guru dead, ingesting some nightshade carelessly (9) UNGUARDED {GURU+DEAD}* over {Ni...e}

11 Brigadier designs a delivery mechanism (3,6) AIR BRIDGE*

12 Tremulous sound from other end of boat on stream (5) TRILL {boaT}{RILL}

13 Viscous black liquid layer over lake at Ajmer outskirts (4,3) COAL TAR {COA{L}T}{AjmeR}

15 Course beginners in Tamil indicate difficulty & ennui (4) TIDE Acrostic

18 Victim, a mother saved by a religious leader (4) IMAM [T]

20 Short lady initially cried on everyone's hate (7) MISCALL {MISs}{Cr..d}{ALL}

23 Central forecast on regulation (5) EDICT prEDICTed

24 Amanda, Laila, Matilda contributing to someone like 18 (5,4) DALAI LAMA [T]

26 Cooked ribs, had half of port in a vessel (9) SHIPBOARD {RIBS+HAD+POrt}*

27 Falls for medico at work, over heels ultimately (5) DROPS {DR}{OP}{h..lS}

28 Carpet is 50% bumpy (3) RUG RUGged

29 One who repeats and reinforces opinions of coach Herb and me in a bad way (4,7) ECHO CHAMBER {COACH{HERB+ME}*

DOWN

1   Victory celebration at area and shortly at both sides of college (3,5) WAR DANCE {WARD}{ANd}{Co...gE}

2   Coaching for test covers university model only (8) TUTORIAL {T{U}{T}{O}RIAL}

3   A vertical pipe at the floor corner is interred in the middle (5) RISER {f..oR}{IS}{intERred}

4   When in Paris, one doctor inserted tip of needle in parts (7) ASUNDER {AS}{UN}{D{n...lE}R}

5   Overlook end of the session, say 7-part lecture ending after 4th (7) NEGLECT {s...oN}{EG}{LECTure}

6   Wave patterns occurring twice a month, when sea in depth almost gets choppy (4,5) NEAP TIDES {SEA+IN+DEPTh}*

7   Friend's girl lied; clipped the wings of a bird (6) BUDGIE {BUD}{G}{lIEd}

8   Nuisance of a lady, fricking heartless badger... (6) GADFLY {LADY+Fr...nG}*

14 ...I met in board programme (9) TIMETABLE {T{I}{MET}ABLE}

16 Auditor and doctor buy a snack underground, perhaps (8) CATACOMB {CA}{TACO}{MB}

17 Charlie prefers regularly procuring Pears soap, say (8) CLEANSER {C}{LEANS}{pEaRs}

19 Say, a holistic therapy's dumb, that nearly is silly (3,4) MUD BATH {DUMB+THAt}*

20 Setter's icon making a comeback primarily composing for a musical (7) MELODIC {ME}{IDOL<=}{Co...g}

21 Incense container at church at all directions but one on the right (6) CENSER {CE}{NSEw}{R}

22 Whacking in disguise (6) HIDING [DD]

25 One's leaving a country to another (5) INDIA INDonesIA

Reference List

New = N, Bachelor = BA, Girl = G, Republican = R, Order = O, Lake = L, Work = OP, University = U, Model = T, Only = O, One in Paris = UN, Charlie = C, Church = CE, Right = R