No 14643, Wednesday 19 Nov 2025, Incognito

Solution to 21D 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   Therefore, state makes broth (4) SOUP {SO}{UP}

9   Respond about part of play (5) REACT {RE}{ACT}

10 Removing ring, Oprah plays musical instrument (4) HARP oPRAH*

11 Some Berber people wrongly argue after end of breakfast (6) TUAREG {ARGUE}*<=>{b...sT}

12 Violently simmers, consuming energy, to produce dips (8) IMMERSES {SIMMERS}* over {E}

13 Bits of projectile maybe sharp and start to neutralise enemy lines (8) SHRAPNEL {SHARP*}{Ne...e}{En..y}{Li..s}

15 Once confused about some blighters as a group (2,4) EN BLOC {EN{BLi...s}OC*}

17 In any case, child gets egg and five fish (7) ANCHOVY {AN{CH}{O}{V}Y}

19 Refuse courteously and fall (7) DECLINE [DD}

22 Vessel containing bits of radish, melon and marine creature (6) SHRIMP {SH{Ra...h}I{Me..n}P}

24 Opened pound cake prepared without using egg (8) UNPACKED {PoUND+CAKE}*

26 Secret coteries reconstituted (8) ESOTERIC*

28 Chopping mango tree after sending away Tom results in anger (6) ENRAGE {mANGo+tREE}*

30 Watering hole next to new shed (4) BARN {BAR}{N}

31 Shakespeare's weapon? (5) SPEAR [HIPS]

32 Sailor gets nothing for food (4) TARO {TAR}{O}

DOWN

1   First eliminated from soft fruit squash and bean curd (4) TOFU {sOFT+frUit}*

2   Come near a parish priest with an insect (8) APPROACH {A}{PP}{ROACH}

3   Mythical creature's pullover (6) DRAGON {DRAG ON}

4   Cricketer Shastri joins ex-Nepalese PM to prepare stuffed pasta (7) RAVIOLI {RAVI}{OLI}

5   Postal ticket editor initially exhibited results in mad rush (8) STAMPEDE {STAMP}{ED}{Ex...d}

6   Supernatural being's revolutionary massage (6) CHERUB {CHE}{RUB}

7   Release part of RAF reels (4) FREE [T]

14 Gut feeling that a person with kyphosis can have? (5) HUNCH [DD]

16 Animal's weight (5) OUNCE [DD]

18 Turn water into steam as I prove erroneously (8) VAPORISE*

20 Damaged ale crate cut into flesh (8) LACERATE*

21 Come after triumph (7) ?U?C?E? (Addendum - SUCCEED [DD] - See comments)

23 Indian Navy nurse's mean (6) INTEND {IN}{TEND}

25 When Victor goes away, poverty may result in rhythmic composition (6) POETRY POvERTY*

27 Place to sit and prepare eats (4) SEAT*

29 Dress from Annanagar boutique (4) GARB [T]

Reference List

About = RE, Energy = E, Child = CH, New = N, Watering hole = BAR, Sailor = TAR, Parish priest = PP, Indian Navy = IN, Victor = V