| THECATSWHISKERS | Anyone or anything considered to be the best (3,4,8) |
| TEOFILO | Identify the first name of this player who is considered to be the best footballer from Peru and whom Pele referred to as his successor; he also scored a World Cup hat-trick in the 1970 edition. (7) |
| TOMDICKANDHARRY | Anyone or everyone: 4 wds. |
| THEGOAT | Person considered to be the best in their field, is Capricorn |
| LEADINGQUESTION | Artful query: 'Could this be the best grill?' (7,8) |
| FERTILECRESCENT | Region from Armenia to Arabia considered to be the cradle of civilisation (7,8) |
| OPTIMISE | Make the most of things, to be the best one can be (8) |
| HOMESWEETHOME | It's said to be the best place to be (4,5,4) |
| STRICTDIET | Conservative from The House only appeals to those who want to be the best losers (6,4) |
| HOLDTHERECORD | Consider the album to be the best (4,3,6) |
| BEEF | Seen at first to be the best ever eaten from the butchers |
| MARRIAGE | The relationship that historically meant placing a young woman in her husband's keeping, but today can mean a union of anyone or anything, strictly speaking (8) |
| ALONE | Without anyone or anything else (5) |
| CUIUSQUAM | Of anyone or anything (gen. sing. pron. all genders) |
| ICON | Anyone or anything admired uncritically (4) |
| PELE | Brazilian said to be the best footballer ever (4) |
| OFFENCE | A fence is said to be the best defence (7) |
| LAUGHTER | This chuckling sound is said to be the best medicine |
| HONESTY | It's said to be the best policy (7) |
| MEDICINE | Laughter is said to be the best (doctors may disagree) (8) |
