| The Times – Concise – Times Concise No 8663 | |
| Clues | Answers |
| Charge for performance | ROYALTY |
| Christmas song | CAROL |
| Containing nothing | EMPTY |
| Destined | FATED |
| Disc for throwing | FRISBEE |
| East African country | KENYA |
| Experienced soldier | VETERAN |
| Failure; counterfeit | DUD |
| Funeral fire | PYRE |
| Fuse; dissolve | MELT |
| Issue, result | OUTCOME |
| Land beside the sea | SHORE |
| Large group of people | BEVY |
| Lively, rather fast | ALLEGRO |
| Madness | INSANITY |
| Metrical stress | ICTUS |
| Military force | ARMY |
| Misunderstanding | mix-up |
| Nervous state | ANXIETY |
| Old saying | ADAGE |
| Political initiative | DEMARCHE |
| Precisely | EXACTLY |
| Rich cake; elf | BROWNIE |
| Ruddy-faced | FLORID |
| Secretive, wary | CAGEY |
| Slimy secretion | MUCUS |
| Tibetan ox | YAK |
| Upright | ERECT |
| Very small | TEENSY |
| Young eel | ELVER |