No 14857, Tuesday 28 Jul 2026, Avtaar

Solution to 26A 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   Relatives rejected incentives to accept work (7) SPOUSES {SOPS<=} over {USE}

5   Cataract patient stabbed by rogue (7) CASCADE {CAS{CAD}E}

9   Bottega in Florence had couch in front of reception (7) ATELIER {ATE}{LIE}{Re...n}

10 Bond's race to arrest KGB's head free of violence, ultimately (7) LINKAGE {LINe{Kgb}AGE}

11 Possibly informal document reflecting on media losing power in Delaware (5,4) DRESS CODE {DOC<=}<=>{pRESS} in {DE}

12 Hassle to get rid of phosphorus compound found in perfumes (5)  ESTER pESTER

13 Civilian lawyer in Saudi? (5) MUFTI [DD]

15 Body in the open - alarming murder? (9) SCARECROW {SCARE}{CROW}

17 What removes moisture from soiled soft rinsed clothing rapidly after draining? (4,5) SPIN DRYER {P+RINSED}* over {Ra...lY} Semi&lit

19 Swimmers going back to get a bit of practice and rest (5) SLEEP {EELS<=}{Pr...e}

22 Perhaps Indian sent back from China economising (5) OCEAN [T<=]

23 Fabric 's restyling cut most of return (9) STRUCTURE {'S}{CUT+RETURn}

25 Sustained energy of revolutionary instigates killing spree at the end (7) STAMINA ANIMATeS<=

26 Take rook with rook conceding lead (7) D?C?I?E ()

27 Company backs probing fellow escaping from spare suite (7) RETINUE {UNIT<=} in {fREE}

28 Prepare to visit old East European religious scholar (7) EXEGETE {GET} in {EX}{E}{E}

DOWN

1   Cool sneakers boosted hero's state (7) STARDOM {MOD}{RATS}<=

2   Feel son evolved without help (7) ONESELF*

3   Big shot turned up aboard in loafers (5) SPIVS {S{VIP<=}S}

4   Extremely old is surely exotic (9) SERIOUSLY  {O+IS+SURELY}*

5   Split iceberg left in pit (5) CALVE {CA{L}VE}

6   They cut below in sequence avoiding edges of icicle (9) SUNDERERS {UNDER} in {SERieS}

7   Electrical accessory in a mobile device mounted behind avoiding poles (7) ADAPTER {A}{PAD<=}{sTERn}

8   I caught crook hiding rupees in frontal arch close to temple? (7) EYEBROW {(~i)EYE}{B{R}OW}

14 Space at the beginning I intend to change before working (9) INDENTION {I}{INDENT}*{ON}

16 Flight link from peak in adjacent island to hill spanning British river (3,6) AIR BRIDGE   {Ad...t}{I} and {RIDGE} in {B}{R}

17 Surety's bankrupt charged by completely heartless nieces (7) SPONSOR {'S}{PO{Ni..eS}OR}

18 Muddled divorced spouse stopping in front (7) INEXACT {IN}{EX}{ACT}

20 Unique cross and clubs going missing - difficult to spot (7) ELUSIVE ExcLUSIVE

21 Introduce promotion covering start of exciting race on the radio (7) PRECEDE {PR}{Ex...g}{(~seed)CEDE}

23 Small step above room (5) SPACE {S}{PACE} What's the role of above?

24 Suspicion of theft dismissed by corner drug store (5) CACHE {CAtCH}{E}

Reference List

Couch = LIE, Power = P, Soft = P, Fellow = F, Old = EX, East = E, European = E, Left = L, Rupees = R, Island = I, British = B, River = R, Divorced spouse = EX, Clubs = C, Promotion = PR, Small = S, Drug = E