| DEBUTANTE | Meaning "lead off in a game", a young aristocratic woman making her first formal appearance in fashionable society or "le bon ton" (9) |
| WINK | A nictate indicating a greeting, joke, secret etc; a counter flicked with a squidger in a game; a nap; an instant; or, a flash of a headlight (4) |
| SNOWBALL | A cocktail of advocaat and lemonade; a frozen mass pelted in a game; a coconut- or ice cream-covered pudding resembling said missile; or, a boom or escalation (8) |
| TOUR | A prolonged trip made by a performer, sightseer, sports team or young aristocratic man, e.g. (4) |
| DEB | Woman making her first public appearance (abbreviation) (3) |
| DEBONAIR | Suave woman making her first appearance on the radio (8) |
| LAISABELA | Village in the Dominican Republic, founded by Christopher Columbus in 1493, considered the first formal European settlement in the New World |
| BRIELARSON | Actress making her first appearance in the franchise with "Fast X" |
| CAITLYNJENNER | TV personality making her first public appearance on the July cover of Vanity Fair: 2 wds. |
| TRENDSETTERS | In some fashion, dogs can lead off in new direction (12) |
| ANIMAL | A game, a lake, a creature (6) |
| HOPSCOTCH | A game, a dance and a wee dram? (9) |
| CANASTA | Can a saint have a game a cards ? (7) |
| ANIMATEDCARTOON | Entertainment drawn from a game a lot, performance of redcoat welcomed (8,7) |
| SWAN | Known collectively as a game, a bird associated with the Vintners' Company (4) |
| BEADLE | As church official, lead off in opening and closing of Bible |
| DOWNATHEEL | He won't lead off in shabby clothes (4,2,4) |
| LEANED | Was inclined to lead off in two directions (6) |
| MAIDEN | The first formal speech given by a new MP (6,6) |
| SPEECH | The first formal speech given by a new MP (6,6) |
