| CLOSECALL | At the end, ring one up, but it was a near thing (5,4) |
| CLOSE | Many are beaten, but it was a near thing (5) |
| ARENA | It was a near thing finding this place for some action! (5) |
| EARLYBIRD | Library arranged for journalist to ring one up in good time |
| ABANDONED | Dumped a ring, one with diamonds |
| SOLITAIRE | One-gem ring; one-player game |
| BANDICOOT | Ring one bird, a native of Australia |
| IMGETTING | Unfortunately, third time minimum having lost, um, engagement ring, one containing gold - so get me |
| SOLICITOR | One's legally qualified, thus Roman officer rings one |
| PHONECARD | Distraught chap rings one doctor up ... using this? |
| FIREALARM | Ranch rings one with genuine warning of danger (4,5) |
| CRUELSUMMER | Peter Ueberroth won Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 1984 for organizing the L.A. Olympics, but it was a ___ for Soviet Bloc athletes, whose countries boycotted the Games |
| PELLET | Lee met the PM at tea but it was a sort of cover-up (6) |
| PELMET | Lee met the PM at tea but it was a sort of cover-up (6) |
| CALLITADAY | Ring one up at set time to stop (4,2,1,3) |
| AUCTION | Can't you ring one up about the sale? (7) |
| CLOSESHAVE | A near thing at the barber's? (5,5) |
| THIS | Hit badly by recessions - in the end, a near thing! (4) |
| UNMEANT | The men set a crazy nutcase free, but it was a mistake (7) |
| SHAVE | Being a clean one was a near miss (5) |
