| UNNERVED | Rattled Arsenal player, initially dropped, very brief with newsman (8) |
| WEAPONRY | Arsenal player initially performing in tired environment (8) |
| INAFLASH | Last remains of cigarette female dropped very suddenly (2,1,5) |
| SOCIALCLIMBER | Upwardly mobile person gets Arsenal player initially supple infiltrated by intelligence agency (6,7) |
| ETHAL | The Crown dropped very harmful alcohol |
| HOTPOTATO | Proverbially, this gets dropped very quickly (3,6) |
| STRANDED | Abandoned on shore with newsman (8) |
| FIREBALL | A bolide might be brief with everything that comes after (8) |
| TRUCKING | American working on roads brought up brief with leader (8) |
| KEYSTONE | Unknown solvent, initially dropped in, say, tetracycline base (8) |
| DRILLRIG | Doctor, I'll be brief with girl returning for industrial apparatus (5,3) |
| TESTABLE | Hypothesis initially dropped by the firm, open to checking |
| ADVOCATE | Support briefs with the rear end cut out |
| PEPPERED | Seasoned pro players initially have had a look at sides |
| SUPPORTS | Encourages university players initially joining in soccer etc |
| EPEE | Such a sword is handled with ease by an extended player initially (4) |
| EYED | Observed envoy on vacation with newsman |
| POISED | Suave pilot is with newsman briefly. (6) |
| SINGLEHANDED | One employee with newsman found it had been done without help (6-6) |
| RICIN | Eric initially dropped at home very strong poison (5) |
