No 14834, Wednesday 01 Jul 2026, Gridzilla

Solution to 23A 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   They need to be taught a lesson about failure (6) PUPILS SLIP-UP<=

4   One's c-cross to bear? (6) AFFORD {A}{F-FORD}

8   One street goes around Italian city (7) TRIESTE {1+STREET}*

9   Man! With this braggart, I get most annoyed (7) EGOTIST {EGOTIST+M}*=I+GET+MOST [CA]

11 Estimation of a tax shown to the auditor (10) ASSESSMENT (~ a cess meant)

12 Go to lake and strip (4) PEEL {PEE}{L}

13 Husband is excitedly eating American dish (5) SUSHI {H+IS}* over {US}

14 OMG! It's a new change, designed to reduce pollution (8) ANTISMOG {OMG+ITS+A+N}*

16 A dashing personality? (8) SPRINTER [CD]

18 Sailing east, around Australia (2,3) AT SEA {EAST}*{A}

20 Nitwit knocked back rum bottles only (4) DODO {ODD<=} over {O}

21 According to Spooner, many excelled in swimming event (10) BACKSTROKE (~stack broke to backstroke)

23 One suspect reportedly gets betrayed (4,3) ?O?D ?U? 

24 Reason one can't travel abroad to Germany, or a city in Serbia? (4,3) NOVI SAD {NO VISA}{D}

25 Part of cliff or a fjord receding in the distance (3,3) FAR OFF [T]

26 Heard Frank finally got a revolver (6) PLANET {(~plain)PLANE}{goT} Incorrect homophone

DOWN

1   First to finish remaining prunes? (5) PARES (-s)PARE(+s)S

2   Wants to guide chaps playing soccer primarily (7) PREFERS {Pl...g}{REEFER}{So...r}

3   That's life, working for a 2 pm -10 pm job perhaps (4,5) LATE SHIFT*

5   Fellow takes time out in tough contest (5) FIGHT {F}{tIGHT}

6   Commanding officer turned up to discharge one of the marines? (7) OCTOPUS {CO<=}{TO}{PUS}

7   Dame, one who's murdered ultimately in play? (9) DESDEMONA {DAME+ONE+whoS+m...eD}*

10 Amateur gets inspired by fantastic career in a team sport (5,4) RELAY RACE {LAY} in {CAREER}*

13 Gradually steal in shop? (6,3) SIPHON OFF {IN+SHOP}* [RA]

15 Brown can on the counter has a bit of dill and mushroom (9) TOADSTOOL {TOA{Dill}ST}{LOO<=}

17 Sample from skin or dermis is ok (2,5) IN ORDER [T]

19 European dancing in bar - extremely seductive (7) SERBIAN {IN+BAR+Se...vE}*

21 Downright lie! (5) BLUFF [DD]

22 Snake kept rattling and intimidated trespassers at the outset (5) KRAIT Acrostic

Reference List

Man = M, Lake = L, New = N, Australia = A, Only = O, Germany = D, Fellow = F, Can = LOO