No 14417, Tuesday 25 Feb 2025, Dr. X

Solution to 26A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Check a boy worried about a pain in the spine (8) BACKACHE {CHECK+A+B}* over {A}

5   Starts to catch obnoxious bugs with expertly built snare (6) COBWEB Acrostic 

10 Hit leader of gang smuggling pot in Thai city (7) LAMPANG {LAM}{PAN}{Gang}

11 Start to opine on budget speech (7) ORATION {Op..e}{RATION}

12 Sturdy men easily capture rebellious adversary (5) ENEMY [T<=]

13 Intimacy in passionate scenes featuring star making a comeback (9) CLOSENESS {C{SOL<=}ENESS*}

14 According to consumer, meat's terrible (12) COMMENSURATE*

18 Woman taken in by wiliest male made a bloomer (5,7) SWEET WILLIAM {W} in {WILIEST+MALE}*

21 Helps with aches in leg (7,2) PITCHES IN {P{ITCHES}IN} 

23 Bank fraud (5) BLUFF [DD]

24 Use up new antidote, saving five hundred (3,4) EAT INTO ANTIdOTE*

25 Gossip's story about couple of models getting close to star (7) TATTLER {TA{TT}LE}{staR}

26 Trap vile husband seen cuddling maiden (6) E?M?S? 

27 Row after troublesome person loses head resulting in divorce (8) ESTRANGE {RANGE}<=>{pEST}

DOWN

1   Spirited song of lieutenant enthralled by drink (6) BELTER {BE{LT}ER}

2   Advance to seize power with large force (6) COMPEL {COM{P}E}{L}

3   Regardless of consequences, sack nasty actor right away (2,3,4) AT ANY COST {NASTY+ACTOr}*

4   What greedy broker wants in embassy (4,10) HIGH COMMISSION [DD]

6   Egg-shaped container in old base (5) OVATE {O}{VAT}{E}

7   Wave with foamy crest is wide, struck with rising velocity (8) WHITECAP {W}{HIT}{PACE<=}

8   Expelled Hungary's captain after a revolting offence in ground (8) BANISHED {Hu...y}<=>{A}{SIN<=} in {BED}

9   Ordered gang on the sly to do whatever is necessary (2,2,3,7) GO TO ANY LENGTHS*

15 Learn about revolutionary liberating eastern capital (4,5) ULAN BATOR {LeARN+ABOUT}*

16 Opener is injured in compound (8) ISOPRENE*

17 Join up to entertain kid with a little unusual spinning top (8) TEETOTUM {MEET<=} over {TOT}{Un...l}

19 Endlessly thinking about lady in fine cotton fabric (6) MUSLIN {MUS{L}INg}

20 Aircraft pilot's concern in ascending, for certain (1-5) G-FORCE [T] Semi&lit

22 Open incomplete files (5) HONES HONESt

Reference List

Boy = B, Woman = W, Five hundred = D, Model = T, Power = P, Large = L, Old = O, Base = E, Wide = W, Eastern = E, Lady = L