| LIFESAVER | Something that comes to your aid at a critical moment (9) |
| GOODSAMARITAN | How sad! To find at a mooring, only one who will come to your aid! (4,9) |
| RETREAT | Withdraw when it comes to your shout (7) |
| CHAIRLIFT | Mobility aid at a ski resort (9) |
| BAMBOOMAT | Rolling aid at a sushi bar |
| KNIFEEDGE | One should be keen at such a critical moment (5,4) |
| PUNCTURED | Burst of power a€“ critical moment when striking Jack Dempsey's head (9) |
| ONTHETURN | Truth none grappled with at a critical point (2,3,4) |
| SOLARWIND | Warns idol about something that comes from the sun (5,4) |
| DORSALFIN | Fellow arranged ordinals around a balancing aid at sea (6,3) |
| ECLAMPSIA | Extreme complication lately affecting more pregnancies - seek immediate aid at the beginning (9) |
| ABDICATES | Beats receiving aid at 100 - gives up the office voluntarily! (9) |
| HAILSTONE | Something that comes down hard? |
| GUARANTEE | Ensure beneficiary receives universal aid at first |
| DEIGRATIA | With God's blessing, one is saved by great aid at sea |
| CHOKE | Epic mess-up at a critical moment |
| WHENTHECHIPS | What gets enciphered, shown unscrambled at a critical moment (4,3,5,3,4) |
| AREDOWN | What gets enciphered, shown unscrambled at a critical moment (4,3,5,3,4) |
| INTHENICKOFTIME | Imprisoned old fellow must get over sentence just at a critical moment (2,3,4,2,4) |
| DROPTHEB | Mess up at a critical moment |
