THC-crossword thread-7; 5 answers PP till 4 pm IST

[deepakgita]

Across
7 Look to retreat, saving life, having no stomach for dogfights (6)
8 Desire lost without drug, on top of that most weak (8)
9 Striking act, elite circles getting into act having fun at last (8)
10 It makes one bring up point on time flying at the speed of light (6) EMETIC
11 Hides before question marks start to surface (5) MASKS
12 They're up in arms with anger over tracking drone (6) HUMERI
14 Remedy after the high, good to relieve the head of grog in excess? (3,4,2,3,3) THE HAIR OF THE DOG
17 Take stock, noodles, tip in soup (6) ASSESS
18 Snake, shedding skin, went behind a tree (5) (ASP)([-w]EN[-t])
22 Very agreeable when passing gas is pardonable (6)
23 Pacer regularly struck, six men bowled in tests (8) EXAMINES*
24 Extended rain in the extreme during record spell (4-4)
25 Incidents of air on earth having sulphur (6)

Down
1 Uncanny sense, the type a fly acquires first in life (9)
2 Live on platform but dress attractively (6) (BE)(DECK)
3 Universal suffering from cold — loss of smell (5)
4 Person no more respectable without education (8)
5 Enjoy knowing me too (8)
6 Good case for protection in space (1-4)
8 Lose enthusiasm often as tumour spreads (3,3,2,5) RUN OUT OF STEAM*
13 Tick small boxes, invest in the middle of fluctuations (9)
15 Answer coming after man calls Enquiries (8)
16 One responsible for slight shift in result (8)
19 Lives off kept women in turn (6) S(W)IVEL*
20 March to battlefront? This suggests the opposite (5)
21 Destroyed Romeo, characters in set drained (5)