| HONES | Sharpens rings, but not at first |
| INNER | A ring but not of gold standard |
| NONQUOTA | Back soon, holding ring, but not the one excluded from one's share (3-5) |
| HALO | Bluff Henry has ring -- but surely not this one! (4) |
| RANGING | Ring but don't nag about wandering at large (7) |
| OWED | Married with ring, but apparently didn't pay yet (4) |
| TAKESOMEBEATING | Suffer in the ring but be favourite to win? |
| LINGO | Give Heather a ring - but mind your language |
| BOUT | Spell in ring, but outside (4) |
| TRAINSPOTTING | Novel's pathetic protagonist losing ring but winning old cash |
| NOSH | Bridge player gets a ring, but quiet about food (4) |
| SPAR | May fight with one in the ring, but can be merciful to him, without end (4) |
| OBTAINED | Got the ring but it has a bend in it (8) |
| SHOE | The girl holds the ring, but it gets trodden on (4) |
| TICKING | Not moving, but not at first marking time |
| TIRED | Weary of being fully dressed, but not at first (5) |
| ADDERS | They're scaled by companions, but not at first (6) |
| MOTTO | Saw bed turned over, but not at first (5) |
| ODDLY | Strangely divine, holy but not at first outwardly (5) |
| ENDS | Finishes in tears, but not at first (4) |
