| ACACIA | A tree, current with a US espionage group |
| TALL | _ Trees, current residence of Emmerdale's Ryan Stocks (4) |
| CIA | US espionage group (init) |
| ACADEMIA | World of learning current with a media organisation (8) |
| EDDY | Current with a whirling motion |
| MCKINLEY | ____ Morganfield, a.k.a. blues musician Muddy Waters, shared a name with a US president (8) |
| HIP | Flexible word with various meanings including a huckle-bone-and-flexor-containing bodily haunch; a red fruit of the wild rose; part of a cheer-invoking cry; a word for "fashionably current, with-it"; |
| KUROSAWA | Developing a work with a US film-maker |
| GOSSAMER | ... and go on board ship with a US group backing very thin material (8) |
| LAUGHINGGAS | Number haggling with a US criminal? (8,3) |
| IOWA | English county shortly linking with a US state (4) |
| FUNGI | Having enjoyable time with a US soldier; it's just mushrooms (5) |
| HIATUS | Opening with a US hit that's been remixed (6) |
| OKINAWA | Japanese island with a US army base (7) |
| ARMADA | Invasion fleet will prepare for war with a US lawman (6) |
| ABIDE | Put up with a US president, baselessly (5) |
| UNBIASED | Biden struggling with a US objective |
| PASSOUT | Complete military training with a US post arranged (4,3) |
| OPTICAL | Current, with temperature dropping a little, is a type of illusion |
| VOGUE | Fashion and lifestyle magazine with a US version edited by Anna Wintour and British version by Edward Enninful (5) |
