| LIGHTTOUCH | Deftness shown in match, perhaps, by rival |
| VIETNAMESE | Asian and French titles bagged by rival |
| CHANSMOKED | ... Action star Jackie dominated by rivals at stunt competition |
| INJURYTIME | Painful period added on in football match perhaps (6,4) |
| FIRSTLIGHT | Opening match, perhaps, at dawn |
| DINNERDATE | Result of an eHarmony match, perhaps |
| COFFEEDATE | Result of a successful Hinge match, perhaps |
| CLEVERNESS | Deftness (10) |
| FOODIE | Party put back by one inhibited by rival gourmet (6) |
| LEWIS | Author, part almost stolen by rival of Johnson, Ben? (5,7) |
| FOOTSIE | Amorous behaviour is to rise, accepted by rival |
| PANTIHOSE | Model punched by rival over hot underwear |
| FOIBLE | Weakness of one former car manufacturer assimilated by rival |
| LEWISCARROLL | Author, part almost stolen by rival of Johnson, Ben? |
| ATTIMES | Occasionally employed by rival newspaper? (2,5) |
| VIBRATE | Shake badly-behaved child held by rival (7) |
| TENDER | Offer made by rival, no bluff (6) |
| GLENCOE | Scottish valley, scene of 1692 massacre of MacDonalds by rival Campbells (7) |
| CONTENDER | Study offer made by rival (9) |
| VALET | Attendant kept by rival Etonian (5) |
