| ANDROCLES | He was close to a beast and, in a way, closer (9) |
| ALBERT | Watchful when guarding second-class, he was close to Victoria (6) |
| ABUTTED | Was close to a hit from the head |
| ASSIMILATE | Take in a beast and email it around (10) |
| SHIMMERED | Was close to emotional outburst nursing husband, gleamed (9) |
| WALKONAIR | Experience elation, and, in a way, each set of circled letters |
| REARSEATS | What many sports cars lack, and, in a way, what the ends of the starred answers are |
| ABSTAINED | Drunken beast and I declined drink (9) |
| REDKITE | Monogamous bird of prey that was close to national extinction until successfully reintroduced to England in the Chilterns and to Scotland (3,4) |
| FISH | Word originally for any creature living in water as opposed to a "beast of the field" or a "bird of the air", later a more specific aquatic vertebrate, such as a minnow, salmon or trout (4) |
| UPTIGHT | When on high, was close to being in a nervy state (7) |
| NEARTHING | That was close! (4,5) |
| BESIDE | In addition, was close to the second eleven, we're told (6) |
| CONDOLENCES | Was close to getting conned, when about to send expressions of sympathy (11) |
| SAWN | Cut by a hand tool flipping over - was close to vein (4) |
| SIMMERED | Fathered, embracing madame and was close to outburst of emotion (8) |
| SATNEAR | Was close to in class |
| NEARLY | Was close to being an extra, reportedly (6) |
| NEARBY | ... was close to being an extra, reportedly (6) |
| APSE | Part of the church was close to collapse (4) |
