No 14711, Saturday 07 Feb 2026, Avtaar

 ACROSS
1 Retired officer about to be welcomed into fair on the hour (6) O'CLOCK {COL C<} in {OK}
5 Women's trophy losing base - broken by kid in flannels (8) WASHRAGS {W}{ASH{RAG}eS}
9 Swine's struggle to restrain one bold mongrel (4,4) WILD BOAR {WAR} around {I}{BOLD*}
10 Stretch out after cycling, play to get silver (6) UNFOLD {(-f)UN(+F)}{OLD}
11 Doctor brings soulless classical fiddlers near the beach (7-5) CALLING CRABS {BRINGS CLAssiCAL}*

13 Cover over pool (4) LIDO {LID}{O}
14 Yankee firm cornered by famous Confederate soldier (4-4) GREY-COAT {GRE{Y}{CO}AT}
17 Maharashtrian city's drive to seize completely bare area (8) SHOLAPUR {SPUR} over {wHOLe}{A}
18 Heartless disruptive debauched senior (4) ROUE {ROgUE}
20 Entertaining compositions of mercurial Dmitriev in empty theatre (12) DIVERTIMENTI {DMITRIEV IN TheatrE}*

23 Mound in Channel Islands that is hot (6) CHILLI {C{HILL}I}
24 Solicit a report about holding of a musical (8) OPERATIC [T<]
25 In a way, I was tense, breaking till (2,2,4) AS IT WERE {I WAS T}*{ERE}
26 Rising and sinking motion in water body outside El Salvador starting to wane (6) SEESAW {SE{ES}A}{Wane}

DOWN
2 Note in message academician's left for Avtaar (4) CHIT {CH(-a+I)T}
3 Antique church in Oslo rebuilt with tips from Orlando's leading designers (3-6) OLD-SCHOOL {CH} in {OSLO Orlando's Leading Designers}*
4 Hillocks in golf links complex lacking traces of grass in front (6) KNOLLS {gOLf LiNKS}*
5 Operating out of the flat of her mom? (7,4,4) WORKING FROM HOME {OF HER MOM}* [RA]
6 Vehicle carrying container with crown of gold conveyed secretly (8) SMUGGLED {SLED} around {MUG}{Gold}
7 Remit 2 rupees covering base fee (5) REFER {R}{R} around {FEE*}
8 Sweet gruel regularly taken with a roll having hole inside (5,5) GULAB JAMUN {GrUeL}{A B{JAM}UN}

12 Couple of drunks starting to sing outside Grand Hotel giving memorable moments (10) HIGHLIGHTS {HIGH LI{G}{H}T}{Sing}
15 L'il lady in retreat entering Bond vehicle in front for tissue (9) CARTILAGE {GAL<}in {TIE}<=>{CAR}
16 Found guards put marks with holes near entrance to fuming volcano, say (8) SPITFIRE {S{PIT}{Fuming}IRE}
19 Judge standing with latest section, reasons (6) INFERS {REF<} in {IN}{S}
21 Spinning yarn about absorbing launch of clothes show (5) ECLAT {TALE<} around {Clothes}
22 Well-known singer in lounge belting out number (4) DIVA {DIVAn}

REFERENCE LIST

Officer=Col., About=C, Women=W, One=I, Over=O, Yankee=Y, Firm=CO, Area=A, Channel Islands=CI, Tense=T, Academician=A, Church=CH, Rupee=R, Grand=G, Hotel=H, Judge=REF(eree), Number=N. 

No 14710, Friday 06 Feb 2026, Bruno

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ACROSS

1   Post-graduate hiding dead girl with sheet (10) PLATEGLASS {P{LATE}G}{LASS}

6   Spice's odour turning estate's core inhabitants out (4) HERB  BREatH<=

9   More fighting - guerrilla finally escapes with family (10) EXTRACTION {EXTRA}{aCTION} Definition seems vague See comments

10 Greek Goddess's loss of heart in earth sadly (4) THEA EArTH*

12 Straps designed with a bend and decorated like a flag (4-8) STAR-SPANGLED {STRAPS}*{ANGLED}

15 Circular displaying head of communist revolutionary (7) RADICAL {RADI{Co...t}AL}

16 Model's bottoms - one concealing nothing is tops! (1-6) T-SHIRTS {T}{SH(-o+1)IRTS}

17 Agricultural product from a very old company displaying a date (7) AVOCADO {A}{V}{O}{C{A}{D}O}

19 Setter's excited being part of attempt to retract ragtag army (7) MILITIA {I}{LIT} in {AIM<=}

20 Assembly embargoed bananas after seeing money stuffed in (5,7) BOARD MEETING {EMBARGOED}* over {TIN}

23 One chosen to convey answer (4) ECHO [T]

24 Dodgy part of city square's last line with worn interior's redesigned (10) TENDERLOIN {T}{END}{LINE+wORn}*} 

25 Sailor left Shanghai channel (4) DUCT abDUCT

26 Teen milling around very loud riot often recklessly robbing contents has cheek (10) EFFRONTERY {TEEN}* over {FF}{RiOt}{Re...lY}

DOWN

1   Spy week? (4) PEEK Anno pending

2   Realtors pitching outskirts... it's low! (4) ALTO reALTOrs

3   Cabins slated to be renovated with stretchy things (7,5) ELASTIC BANDS*

4   After some time, a language becomes creative (7) LATERAL {LATER}{A}{L} L/Language?

5   Game popular in Spain and Utah (4,3) SHOT PUT {HOT} in {S}{UT} This is an athletic event and not a game!

7   Delight of perverted liar consumed by old hostility (10) EXHILARATE {EX}{H{LIAR*}ATE}

8   Drink label has upturned flower (10) BRANDYSNAP {BRAND}{PANSY<=} 

11 Ultimately, running hotel's hard (2,3,4,3) IN THE LONG RUN* Hard as Anind?

13 Old custom - to put hand in mouth and put on black register (5,5) BREAK BREAD {B{R}EAK}{B}{READ} Read/Register? See comments

14 Essential part of testimony - a cop hid it, surprisingly for unknown causes (10) IDIOPATHIC {t..tIm..y+A+COP+HID+IT}*

18 How I would refer to setter's working style, mainly, during leave? Kicking back! (7) ONESELF {ON}{St..e}{FLEe<=}

19 Man waving red flag returning from Belgorod - a Tamilian (7) MATADOR [T<=]

21 Fail to win not so tight ODIs, initially getting out (4) LOSE LOoSE

22 Individual working largely in the peripheries (4) ONLY {ON}{La...lY}

Reference List

Model = T, Very = V, Date = D, Sailor = AB, Loud = F, Spain = S, Hand = R, Black = B