| DUNCESCAP | New College blocking fees to improve on fool's mark |
| MUPPET | Fool Mark with more expensive favourite (6) |
| GETAHEAD | First task when staffing new school is to improve on schedule (3,5) |
| GENERALLY | DNA to improve, on the whole (9) |
| PULLONESSOCKSUP | Strive to improve on luck -- losses disastrous in what swindler's sold one? |
| LAPTOP | Friend about to improve on computer |
| CAPRI | Greek island to improve on US state? |
| UPGRADE | To improve on transport, a prude overcomes gravity (7) |
| REVERSEENGINEER | Take apart (a device) in order to improve on or copy |
| SCAMPI | Seafood starter to improve on urchin |
| BREAK | Opportunity to improve on sequence of strokes in pool? (5) |
| CAPER | Bound to improve on former queen |
| ALMONER | Do-gooder to improve on realm (7) |
| FICTION | Establish falsehood insider concocted to improve on narrative a lie |
| ENOUGHTOMAKEA | Sufficient to improve on the Cheshire cat's grin (6,2,4,1,3,5) |
| CAT | Sufficient to improve on the Cheshire cat's grin (6,2,4,1,3,5) |
| LAUGH | Sufficient to improve on the Cheshire cat's grin (6,2,4,1,3,5) |
| IDEAL | Impossible to improve on |
| LETWELLALONE | Don't try to improve on a perfectly good water supply? (3,4,5) |
| MOTORCYCLE | Conservative ringing College, and College blocking spy's vehicle (10) |
