No 14861, Saturday 01 Aug 2026, Pixie Dust

 ACROSS
7 Air bubbles from damaged mobile (6) EMBOLI*
8 Not the first meal with short, sweet punch (8) UPPERCUT {sUPPER}{CUTe}

9 Disreputable persons repeatedly using a fir! (8) RIFFRAFF {A FIR}* [Letter Bank]
10 Independent male left foreign trade (6) IMPORT {I}{M}{PORT}
11 Disgusted Tom Cruise abandoning one user (8) CUSTOMER {TOM CRUiSE}*
12 Grandpa youthfully concealing distribution of money (3,3) PAY OUT [T]
13 Feverish pirate uses soft wipes (6,5) TISSUE PAPER {PIRATE USES P}*
18 High (from the beginning) she heard repetitive, incessant, loud litany (6) SHRILL [Acrostic]
20 Is this type of wooden case destroying aesthetics? (3,5) TEA CHEST {IS+TEA CHEST}*=AESTHETICS [CA]

22 Guard briefly thwarting initial attempt to split the eardrums (6) DEAFEN {DE{Attempt}FENd}
23 Spooner's dignity, lure and interest perhaps? (4,4) BANK RATE Spoonerism of RANK BAIT
24 Naughty Alice smothering mother and Herb (8) CAMOMILE ALICE* around MOM

25 Colfax mopes every now and then for fixes! (6) CLAMPS {CoLfAx MoPeS}

DOWN
1 Wicked rascal acknowledged dues (7) IMPIOUS {IMP}{IOUS}
2 Jerk cycling around often shredded pieces of coloured paper (8) CONFETTI {(+C)TI(-c)} around {OFTEN*}

3 Please //lay down weapons (6) DISARM [DD]
4 Ape a plant? (5-3) SPLIT PEA {APE}* [RA]

5 Stupid doctor, mainly ignorant, pathetic and extremely prickly (6) DRIPPY {DR}{Ignorant}{Pathetic}{PricklY}

6 Nearly upset bowl on top containing copper in the univalent state (7) CUPROUS {ROUSe}<=>{CUP}
8 Notable Battle of Rugen, perhaps (13) UNFORGETTABLE*
14 Resentment carried out without a bit of emotion's amazing! (8) SPLENDID {SPLEeN}{DID}
15 True! The reality is exposing something exquisite! (8) ETHEREAL [T]
16 Backtracking, loathe tailing revolutionary animal (7) CHEETAH {HATE<}<=>{CHE}

17...that is describing very elevated form of element (7) ISOTOPE {I{SO}{TOP}E}
19 Some werewolf nimbly reversing tide (6) INFLOW [T<]
21 Intermittently alarming, fierce bait for Leopard's-Bane! (6) ARNICA {AlaRmiNg fIerCe bAit}

REFERENCE LIST

Independent=I, Male=M, One=1=I, Acknowledged Dues=IOUs, Doctor=Dr., Revolutionary=Che (Guevara), that is=i.e. (id est).