| DEMEAN | Belittle church dignitary who's holding me up (6) |
| GAMBLER | Seven-card stud player, e.g., who's holding this puzzle's cards (their best hand is spelled out in the circled squares) |
| LORDMAYOR | Old army manoeuvre, or dignitary who has his show (4,5) |
| MINOR | Dignitary who does not make much noise, we hear (5,5) |
| CANON | Dignitary who does not make much noise, we hear (5,5) |
| DEEMED | Considered holding me up, indeed |
| GAMETE | Confine, in a way, holding me in kind of cell (6) |
| GEMINI | Astrological sign of soldier holding me in, perhaps (6) |
| EPARCH | Record span for church dignitary (6) |
| ANDEAN | Article by church dignitary of South American eminence (6) |
| DEACON | Church dignitary has company when the cleric comes around (6) |
| DEAFEN | Church dignitary grabs iron to stun (6) |
| BISHOP | Church dignitary (6) |
| DEMON | Fellow holding me up, the fiend |
| EMBOSOM | See doctor weep, holding me up, to hug |
| CHEMINDEFER | Some feature holding me up, postpone game |
| SEMI | Truck is holding me up |
| RESEMBLE | Looks like rebels turn holding me up (8) |
| ITEMS | It's holding me up, as one may read |
| OUTOFTHEWAY | Stop holding me up as remote (3,2,3,3) |
