| DENMARK | Country placed first in the 2020 Environmental Performance Index (7) |
| ARIES | Sign traditionally placed first in the zodiac |
| TINKLED | Ink was placed first in order after receptionist finally rang (7) |
| CHIPPER | Happy for every counter in the casino to be placed first (7) |
| EACHWAY | Type of bet where you win if the horse is placed first, second or third (4-3) |
| LOCAVIT | He put and placed, 1st conj. |
| TENNANT | David, Scottish actor who played the title role in the 2020 TV crime drama Des (7) |
| DEBICKI | Elizabeth - - -, actress who played Kat in the 2020 action film Tenet (7) |
| TARRANT | Chris _, TV presenter played by Michael Sheen in the 2020 miniseries Quiz (7) |
| BRANAGH | Kenneth ___, actor who played Andrei Sator in the 2020 Christopher Nolan film Tenet 29 Anonymous or unidentified male person, as in US legal proceedings or police investigations (4,3) |
| OLLIVON | Charles ___, France and Toulon flanker who scored two tries in the 2020 Six Nations Championship win over England (7) |
| NZFIRST | Party that lost all its seats in the 2020 election (2,5) |
| ARMENIA | Participant in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war |
| AFRESH | Again succeeded in what a priest placed first |
| PUTRESCENT | High Society in modern environment placed first |
| LOCALE | Scene in English pub placed first (6) |
| MERIT | According to this order, the best is placed first (5) |
| KITSCH | Trashy school outfit placed first (6) |
| ENCHANTED | Magical fish, having lost head, placed first bet (9) |
| TRIO | Chamber work a great success with last part placed first (4) |
