No 14624, Tuesday 28 Oct 2025, Vidwan

Solution to 19D 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

8   In retrospect, 10 divided by 10 is one that gives no number in the nearby range (4,4) NEXT DOOR {T{X}EN<=} {DOnOR} 

9   Almost everyone told untruths, being married (6) ALLIED {ALl}{LIED}

10 Scholarly one comes out carrying pen! That is wonderful! (10) STUPENDOUS {STU{PEN}DiOUS}

11 Goodbye from Atlantean, oddly! (2-2) TA-TA aTlAnTeAn

12 During practice team has cold beverage (3,3) ICE TEA [T]

14 The elaborate surrounding, large square and the hour before midnight (8) ELEVENTH {THE}* over {L}{EVEN} 

15 Millions wasted for boy's trip, achieving little growth! (7) STUBBLE STU(-m+b)BBLE

17 Royal's bad taste, plays out occasionally (7) STATELY {TASTE}*{pLaYs}

20 End up in right careers and hold up (8) UNDERPIN {END+UP+IN+R}*

22 Love natural drinks, start to distil for trial (6) ORDEAL {O}{R{Di...l}EAL}

24 Intelligence agency recruited a good group of conjurers (4) MAGI {M{A}{G}I}

25 Beach model with vacuous air, something like an urchin (4,6) SAND DOLLAR {SAND}{DOLL}{AiR}

27 Mum is back at fasting (6) SILENT {IS<=}{LENT}

28 We have right way to alert banks, emptied for someone like Dwayne Johnson (8)  WRESTLER {W{R}E}{ST}{aLERt}

DOWN

1   Infected wound - initially scrubbed, cleaned with ice mostly (6) SEPTIC {SwEPT}{ICe} What's the role of 'initially'? See comments

2   That operational part is over! (4) ATOP [T]

3   Time to have hotel at each official place of local government (4,4) TOWN HALL {T}{OWN}{H}{ALL}

4   Singer Spooner takes credit for small performance at first (7) CROONER {+cr-s-p)CROONER

5   Altercation sound engulfing ship (6) HASSLE {HA{SS}LE}

6   Rated tea as misused (3-7) ILL-TREATED [RATED+TEA}* [RA] There's an extra A in the fodder

7   Support used in golf to train, without one on the wagon (8) TEETOTAL {TEE}{TO}{TAiL} 

13 Story about black family, new to setting for serving of food (5,5) TABLE LINEN {TA{B}LE} {LINE}{N}

16 Nazi at an anarchic country (8) TANZANIA*

18 Indecisive wife intervening to protect self from financial risk, after husband left and died (3-5) TWO- EDGED {T{W}O}{hEDGE}{D}

19 After losing power, rebel King won back northern virgin (7) ?N?N?W? (Addendum - UNKNOWN {pUNK}{K}{WON<=}{N} - See comments)

21 Old Spanish money plant covered by legume plant (6) PESETA {PE{SET}A}

23 Unlimited hazy beer and a cream (6) AZALEA {hAZy}{ALE}{A} Cream? Azalea is a Plant!!

26 Board that is somewhat flat headed (4) LATH [T]

Reference List

Ten = X, Number = N, Large = L, Millions = M, Boy = B, Right = R, Intelligence agency = MI, Good = G, Time = T, Hotel = H, Credit = CR, Small = S, Ship = SS, Black = B, New = N, Wife = W, Husband = H, Died = D, Power = P, King = K, Northern = N