| COSMETICS | Greasepaint, say encountered in company so close to circus (9) |
| NONSTOP | Poles carried around close to circus tent all the time (3-4) |
| INTEGER | Number, say, encountered in Bury |
| CAPRICCIO | When one fools contraltos I encountered in company producing Strauss opera (9) |
| TRACKSIDE | Sick about cutting deal so close to the finishing-line? (9) |
| ATTACHING | Hanging on, so close to invasion (9) |
| ALONGSIDE | Rogue dealing so close to a bank |
| COTHURNUS | ... company therefore accepting poor run getting boot in tragedy |
| STARBUCKS | Howard Schultz built this company, then left its CEO job twice and returned three times, most recently in April 2022 |
| SLAPHAPPY | Boisterously free with the greasepaint? |
| COLONISES | Settles so close in unfortunately (9) |
| PLAYMATES | Is being so close on stage somewhat juvenile? (9) |
| STARFRUIT | Tropical food in the "So close!! That is a shape 💕" tweet |
| LOLITA | Novel alluded to in "Don't Stand So Close to Me" |
| NEARTHING | 1 got so close, but nothing ... instead of ring got "Heed!" (4,5) |
| GIMME | A putt in golf from so close to the hole that your opponent concedes it to you (5) |
| INSURANCEPOLICY | What you need to drive new car up incline, so close to calamity (9,6) |
| CHRISWALKER | Came so close to winning a BSB title only to be denied by an engine breakdown in 2000. (5,6) |
| SILLY | It's daft to be so close to the bat (5) |
| SIXPENCE | Piece Times writer sent in so close to deadline |
