| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ROUGH IT | |
| Live basically with dysfunctional group ignoring pressure to strike (5,2) | Anagram of GROUP minus P + HIT | |
| 5 | MUST-SEE | |
| Think about set repaired for essential viewing (4-3) | MUSE outside anagram of SET | |
| 9 | LYCRA | |
| Dressmaker’s finishing obvious in restitching of lacy material (5) | dressmake(R) inisde anagram of LACY | |
| 10 | ESPIONAGE | |
| Secret service, especially one on time (9) | ESP + I + ON + AGE | |
| 11 | CONVEYED | |
| Moved kid looked at end of verse (8) | CON + (EYED after V) | |
| 12 | UPBEAT | |
| Uranium and boron found in organic material is encouraging (6) | U + (B inside PEAT) | |
| 14 | TRIP | |
| Hallucination is nonsense largely (4) | (TRIP)e | |
| 15 | DOORKNOB | |
| Handle party or bash the wrong way (8) | DO + OR + (BONK reversed) | |
| 18 | MISCOUNT | |
| Wrong calculation is checked initially entering horse (8) | [IS + (C)hecked] inside MOUNT | |
| 19 | GENE | |
| Protein molecule is part of oestrogen essentially (4) | oestroGEN Essentially | |
| 22 | AUNTIE | |
| A free person, relatively speaking (6) | A + UNTIE | |
| 23 | PARLANCE | |
| Standard number of shots fired with weapon in a manner of speaking (8) | PAR + LANCE | |
| 25 | HELPED OUT | |
| Mixed up “the dole” with “supplied assistance” (6,3) | Anagram of UP THE DOLE | |
| 26 | GREET | |
| Shake hands and agree, losing a little time (5) | AGREE minus A + T | |
| 27 | SHYSTER | |
| Unscrupulous practitioner is ignored by sister after fling (7) | (SISTER minus IS) after SHY | |
| 28 | DONATED | |
| Gifted university fellow finished a course and died (7) | DON + ATE + D | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RELOCATE | |
| Transfer associate holding company up (8) | RELATE outside (CO reversed) | |
| 2 | UNCONDITIONALLY | |
| Sort of induction concerning friend without qualifications (15) | Anagram of INDUCTION + ON + ALLY | |
| 3 | HEATER | |
| Hard consumer could be warmer (6) | H + EATER | |
| 4 | TREMENDOUS | |
| Harassed mentor sued great (10) | Anagram of MENTOR SUED | |
| 5 | MOPE | |
| Move around slowly and aimlessly in vehicle mostly (4) | (MOPE)d | |
| 6 | SLOWPOKE | |
| Plodder talked about mountain-climbing gear? (8) | SPOKE outside LOW | |
| 7 | STATE GOVERNMENT | |
| Strong team event transformed regional authority (5,10) | Anagram of STRONG TEAM EVENT | |
| 8 | EVENTS | |
| A war lost by veteran was changing engagements (6) | Anagram of VETERAN WAS minus A WAR | |
| 13 | CONTRACTED | |
| Called about worker ultimately bound by a legal obligation (10) | CONTACTED outside worke(R) | |
| 16 | ACCIDENT | |
| Chance I’d taken, in a manner of speaking (8) | ID inside ACCENT | |
| 17 | DEMENTED | |
| Soldiers, with time in action, cracked (8) | (MEN + T) inside DEED | |
| 20 | MASHES | |
| Helium kept in large-scale pounds (6) | HE inside MASS | |
| 21 | FLAGON | |
| Amount of wine and spirit put into baked dish (6) | GO inside FLAN | |
| 24 | SOUR | |
| Tart, a starter, possibly, not finished right (4) | (SOU)p + R |
