| COSTAR | One of the leads cut apple (2,4) |
| EXTORTIONER | One squeezing part held by Morse inventor with both leads cut off |
| ACTRESSES | All of the leads in "Ocean's 8," e.g. |
| EUGENIE | Princess has massive lead cut coming back home in point-to-point (7) |
| HUMPBACKBRIDGE | Bad situation for passing Calvin Klein, initially in lead, cut short after bad aroma (8,6) |
| JOHNNYDEPP | He played one of the lead roles in the film version of 50-/55-Across |
| BRUNNHILDE | One of the lead characters in 24 Across and 60 Across |
| LENGTH | Span of a horse from nose to tail as a measure of the lead in a race; or, the distance of a swimming pool from one end to the other (6) |
| ANDREA | First name of the lead singer of the Irish sibling group The Corrs |
| LIMAHL | Professional name of the lead singer of Kajagoogoo (1982-1983) |
| STEEDS | Horses use the leads so regularly (6) |
| GALENA | The French name gripped by cultural association gets part of the lead (6) |
| TALKED | Said to take most of the lead |
| FRONTRUNNERS | One of The Baskervilles admits writing to The Messenger's people taking the leads (5,7) |
| STING | Professional name of the lead singer of The Police whose stand-alone songs include Englishman in New York, Fields of Gold and Shape of My Heart (5) |
| ODYSSEY | What epic poem ascribed to Homer describes the wanderings of the lead character after the fall of Troy? |
| LISA | When doubled, stage name of the lead singer of the 1980s group with the No. 1 hit "Head to Toe" |
| HUMIDIFIER | It's steamy at the film institute for the leads in Easy Rider and it changes the atmosphere in Room (10) |
| STARTLES | Alarms the leads in The Lady Eve surrounded by celebrities (8) |
| ACTED | Played the leads in Alien , Crash , The Exorcist and Dune |
