No 14620, Thursday 23 Oct 2025, KrisKross

Solution to 9A 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   Considers exercise (bit of cardio) during breaks (8) RESPECTS {RES{PE}{Ca...o}TS}

5   Order exhausted swimmers to go around lake (6) SERIES {Sw..{ERIE}...rS}

9   Misfortune breaking leg, cycling in farmlands (8) T?L?A?E? (Addendum - TILLAGES {ILL} in {(-s)TAGE(+s)S} - See comments)

10 Successful performance by that lady here (6) HITHER {HIT}{HER}

12 Water body devastated a rose tree (9) PONDEROSA {POND}{A+ROSE}*

13 What a blessing to have food! (5) TABLE [T]

14 Member with round toy (4) LEGO {LEG}{O}

16 Crescent-shaped object in bag, coated with cement (7) LUNETTE {LU{NET}TE}

19 Idiot caught by force shortly, resulting in standoff (7) IMPASSE {IMP{ASS}El}

21 Stop and shoot (4) STEM [DD]

24 Husband in trouble leaves to get a weapon (5) ARROW hARROW

25 Most of Gujarat, UP, Uttarakhand finally prepared for festival (5,4) DURGA PUJA {GUJARAt+UP+u...nD}*

27 I tried jogging to become more trim (6) TIDIER*

28 General charged, scoring runs.. Around 100 (8) ECLECTIC {ELECTrIC} over {C}

29 Missile plant (6) ROCKET [DD]

30 Most elegant furniture covers on sale (8) COUTHEST {C{OUT}HEST}

DOWN

1   Try every possible entrance for starters - lost key again! (6) RETYPE {TRY+Ev..y+Po...e+En...e}* Not fair, how many starters to take?

2   Alone, ultimately crestfallen, saying "Goodbye" (2,4) SO LONG {SOLO}{c...eN}{s...nG}

3   Some need a very elevated fence (5) EVADE [T<=]

4   Artist's connection with game (7) TIEPOLO {TIE}{POLO}

6   Old partner is sounding worried - that's life (9) EXISTENCE {EX}{IS}{(Tense)TENCE}

7   Checks core of chip inside, where computer data is stored (8) INHIBITS {cHIp} in {IN BITS}

8   Wizard is more unhappy after acquiring riches, oddly (8) SORCERER {SO{RiChEs}RER}

11 Draw large room, say (4) HAUL (~hall)

15 Measures garments for the audience in another place (9) ELSEWHERE {ELS}{(~wear)WHERE}

17 Calamity at sea - tried to protect one aboard ship (8) DISASTER {TRIED}* over {S{A}S}

18 Intermittent code radios copy regularly (8) SPORADIC {RADIOS+CoPy}*

20 Stops loans, not having closure of deal (4) ENDS lENDS

21 Dusty wind in Cairo's destroying a poor business (7) SIROCCO {CaIROS}{CO}

22 Tear part of skirt (6) BUSTLE [DD]

23 American tap dancing - cute and fun at first (6) FAUCET {CUTE+And+Fun}*

26 Representative had brief to gather information (5) AGENT {A{GEN}Te}

Reference List

Exercise = PE, Husband = H, Runs = R, Hundred = C, Old partner = EX, Ship = SS, Business = CO, Information = GEN