No 14847, Thursday 16 Jul 2026, Afterdark

Solution to 28A 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

9   Greed? It is not seen in female pilot (7) AVARICE AViAtRICE

10 For the most part, Tata Ace transports vitamin and salt (7) ACETATE {TATa+ACE}*{E}

11 Famous specialist follows eastern time (7) EMINENT {ENT}<=>{E}{MIN}

12 Copper nabs snitch with soldier's attendant (7) CURATOR {CU}{RAT}{OR}

13 Agrees, but vacillates getting vegetable (5,4) SUGAR BEET*

15 Drive to Marrakesh over partly (5) SHOVE [T]

16 Special wine (cold) altered muscle tone (7) SPASTIC {SP}{ASTI}{C}

19 By deceit, cash given to sister's used to frame (7) CHASSIS {CASH*}{SIS}

20 Gain a male animal (5) AMASS {A}{M}{ASS}

21 Gladiator's role in South Africa's discussed centrally (9) SPARTACUS {S{PART}A}{disCUSsed}

25 Explosive to primarily ruin someone like Epstein (7) TORPEDO {TO}{Ruin}{PEDO}

26 At the start, sudden noise baffled son entering a meeting (7) SESSION {Su...n}with {NOISE}*over {S}

28 Nurse corresponding with leading endocrinologist to join (7) E?T?I?E ()

29 Son's team centre joins another team at beach (7) SEASIDE {S}{tEAm}{SIDE}

DOWN

1   Touch actress badly to lose front tooth (6) CARESS ACtRESS*

2   Goods arriving without name (6) LADING LAnDING

3   Limits excess centrally from rodents (4) MICE {liMIts}{exCEss}

4   Spy's article creates rage (6) SEETHE {SEE}{THE}

5   Unruly trio can, at the border, clandestinely get controlled substance (8) NARCOTIC {TRIO+CAN}*{Cl...y}

6   Downer from French media worker (10) DEPRESSANT {DE}{PRESS}{ANT}

7   Careful about one in car, say at America (8) CAUTIOUS {C}{AUT{1}O}{US}

8   Its unique; spy replaces man with lady in difficulty (8) PEERLESS {PEER}{(-m+l)LESS}

14 Cooking device for breads used by South American (10) ROTISSERIE {ROTIS}{S}{ERIE}

16 I ate an egg of a marine creature (3,5) SEA OTTER {SE{A}{O}TTER}

17 Enthusiasm offers one clarity somehow (8) ALACRITY {1+CLARITY}*

18 Client of Atticus, Tom, Eric protected (8) CUSTOMER [T]

22 Leading an animal to the front provides benefit (6) ASSIST {1ST}<=>{ASS}

23 Judge's important to evict gangster (6) CRITIC CRITICal

24 Say, diva spotted in a bus in Germany (6) SINGER [T]

27 Collect sample of son and wife to get blood group (4) SWAB {S}{W}{AB}

Reference List

Vitamin = E, Specialist = ENT, Eastern = E, Snitch = RAT, Soldier = OR, Special =SP, Cold = C, Male = M, Son = S, Name = N, From in French = DE, About = C, Man = M, Lady = L, South = S, Wife = W, Blood Group = AB