| ALLALIKE | First sign of life in alkali compound - final couple indistinguishable from each other (3,5) |
| ALIBI | Defence plea found in alkali biochemical (5) |
| OZONE | Colourless gas soluble in alkalis and cold water (5) |
| LITMUS | Paper that turns blue in alkalis (6) |
| SNOWDROP | Woodland, parkland and garden flower, often the first sign of life after the winter and thus a harbinger of spring (8) |
| ONTARGET | As planned, arrive beyond Great Lake, dropping off final couple (2,6) |
| ASSORTED | The three leading primary schools in Dorset are all surprisingly different from each other (8) |
| COASTING | Freewheeling coach, final couple dropped off with singer (8) |
| SPACEBAR | If you want to keep certain characters away from each other, this is the key (5,3) |
| SKELETON | Lost knee indistinguishable in a set of bones (8) |
| LINWOOD | First sign of life in forested region - no more in Letter From America (7) |
| FARAPART | Very distant from each other: 2 wds. |
| DISPERSE | Break up, move away from each other (8) |
| OPENPALS | Friends who don't keep secrets from each other? |
| OPPOSITE | Directly across from each other (8) |
| UNCOUPLE | Disconnect rail cars from each other (8) |
| MATCHING | Indistinguishable |
| LINAGES | Newspaper measures first sign of life in long time (7) |
| GOLLOCH | Beginning of history, reviewing chronology taking in first sign of life as 11Dn - see 24dn (5,7) |
| HORNY | Beginning of history, reviewing chronology taking in first sign of life as 11Dn - w 21dn (5,7) |
