| PREWORK | School task completed in advance of a lesson whose first five letters are an anagram of "power" |
| BLANKETSTATEMENT | Broad assertion whose first five letters are an adjective meaning "not filled out yet": 2 wds. (Theme answer: A warm piece of bedding is followed by something told) |
| SHEEPISH | Synonym for "shy" whose first five letters are a farm animal |
| OVERBOLD | Reckless cricketer's task completed, we hear (8) |
| ONTHEFENCE | Phrase meaning "torn between decisions" whose first seven letters are an anagram of the first seven of "ten of hearts": 3 wds. (Theme answer: The first word is the opposite of the first word of 25-Acr |
| COCOABEAN | Edible trea pod whose first six letters are an anagram of the last six letters of "tobacco": 2 wds. |
| YEET | Expression of excitement whose first three letters are an anagram of a body part |
| DOGTREAT | Special piece of food given to a canine pet: 2 wds. (Theme answer: The circled letters are an anagram of a word in the puzzle's title) |
| NOTGREAT | "Less than fine" equivalent whose second word anagrams to "retag": 2 wds. (Theme answer: The circled letters are an anagram of a word in the puzzle's title) |
| KOREANBBQ | Meat-centric cuisine whose first seven letters are an anagram of "on break": 2 wds., 1 Abbr. |
| MAPLE | Tree whose first four letters are an anagram of another tree |
| GRENADE | Dangerous item whose first six letters are an anagram of DANGER |
| RIDER | What do call the list of requirements sent by an artist to a venue in advance of a performance? (5) |
| SOFTLAUNCH | The release of a new product or service to a restricted audience in advance of a full release (4,6) |
| SAIDNOTO | Phrase meaning "rejected" whose first two words are an anagram of "Adonis": 3 wds. |
| GOTINTOIT | Phrase meaning "began the work" whose first two words are an anagram of "tooting": 3 wds. |
| EXERCISE | A workout for body, mind, soul or spirit in the form of drills, keep fit, meditation, a musical etude, a school task, training or worship (8) |
| PAW | Part of a cat's body whose last two letters are an exclamation similar to "How cute!" |
| RECCE | Term for exploring an area in advance of a military operation (5) |
| ANTEPOST | Term for odds or bets made in advance of a race. (4,4) |
