| TOPPEDTHEBILL | Played the lead that wiped out coppers (6,3,4) |
| SPENTFORCE | Has-been forked out coppers? (5,5) |
| CENTS | Reason to sound out coppers (5) |
| SEEYOU | Audibly spelt out copper's parting statement (3,3) |
| BRYANCRANSTON | American actor who played the lead in Breaking Bad and also starred in Malcolm in the Middle: 2 wds. |
| STEFANIAROCCA | Italian actress who played the lead in Dario Argento's horror film the Card Player (7,6) |
| RAYMONDMASSEY | American stage actor who played the lead in Robert Sherwood's Abe Lincoln in Illinois from 1938-40 (7,6) |
| THEIMPORTANCE | Michael Redgrave played the lead in Oscar Wilde's ... Of Being Earnest (3,10) |
| MIGHTIEST | Most powerful may lead, that is the way |
| METTLE | London coppers let out copper say? (6) |
| GONEBUST | Double agents dismiss lead that could explain how one lost everything in the business (4,4) |
| CROWN | "The ___," Netflix series about Queen Elizabeth II with a female lead that has won over 100 awards |
| BETTER | "___ Things," FX series with a female lead that won the 2016 Critics' Choice Television Awards |
| SPEARHEAD | Lead that woman with a daughter to eat fruit |
| ADELE | Singer performing lead, that of Eurydice (5) |
| FIXEDSTAR | Repaired lead that scarcely moves at night? (5,4) |
| BEATUP | Worn-out copper circuit working like a computer? (4-2) |
| AUTOLYCUS | Thief violently lays out copper intervening |
| DECIPHER | Make out copper, he is involved in price fixing (8) |
| MACAULAY | Culkin leader digging out copper in Malaya (8) |
