| FARAHEAD | "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denied the rumor that he will retire next year, saying 'If you've |
| DETTORI | Frankie, Italian jockey who has announced he will retire at the end of the 2023 Flat season (7) |
| DEREK | Yankee shortstop Jeter who announced he will retire at the end of 2014 |
| POPEFRANCIS | "YouTuber Trisha Paytas Addresses Rumors That Her Unborn Child Is ___ Reincarnated" (2025 US Weekly headline) |
| OLIVIA | With 17-Across: singer who last week deflected rumors that one of her songs is actually a swipe at 34-Across |
| NURSE | "It is the ___ that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate": Quintilian (5) |
| THEDECIDER | What George W. Bush called himself in 2006 when opting to keep Donald Rumsfeld as his secretary of defense |
| OUT | Harry S Truman had the saying, "If you can't stand the heat, get ... of the kitchen" |
| CARELL | Steve, U.S. actor who played politician Donald Rumsfeld in the 2018 black comedy film Vice (6) |
| DAMASCUS | According to the saying, if you experience a sudden life-turning point. you are on the road to where? (8) |
| KHADE | Virdhawal the Indian swimmer who will retire after the National Games. (5) |
| STEVE | ___ Carell stars as Donald Rumsfeld in the 2018 biopic, Vice (5) |
| SEARLE | Former pharmaceutical company that Donald Rumsfeld once headed |
| SADDUCEES | Jewish sect of ancient Israel that denied the supernatural (angels, the resurrection etc.) unlike the rival Pharisees (9) |
| EGGS | Coronation Street's Sharif keeps chickens so that he will have lots of these (4) |
| PROBABLE | It is most likely that he will be chosen for this team (8) |
| SODSLAW | Sold out through saying: "If it can go wrong, it will" (4,3) |
| AXE | What you might have to grind, in the saying, if you're bearing a grudge or have a particular agenda |
| REDS | Team that will retire Pete Rose's #14 next weekend |
| RUSTICATE | Lady who's out of practice first reportedly will retire to the country (9) |
