Across
Best to snub leader with lively goal for education (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The best in a group are the ELITE. Take off the leader, and add RACY for lively.
Group participating in Monopoly react badly, beginning to lose (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
An anagram (badly) of REACT with the first letter of L[ose]
Whiskery swimmers ignoring large headlands, or views from them? (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Them referring back to headlands. Whiskery swimmers may well be SEALS. Ignore the L[arge] and add CAPES for headlands.
Very cool beer drained and knocked back is bitter (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I think I can translate very cool to ACE. BEER drained leaves you with just the B and the R, to be reversed or knocked back.
Perhaps old Dutch gold rings right for dabbler (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
“There ain’t a woman living in this world as I swap for my dear old Dutch”. Cockney rhyming slang, Dutch equals MATE. Surround it with AU for gold, add R[ight]
Country's empty housing area (7)
Alexander not finishing small pastries after suit bursts (4,3,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Alexander, particularly if Scottish, is SANDY. Knock off the end, add S[mall] pastry TARTS, and preface with FIT for suit. “It fits the bill”.
Divers with no clue, aimless at sea (13)
Chap unlikely to stay confined in hotel in France agreed to stifle noise (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Harry, the famous escapologist. H[otel], then agreed in France is OUI, which surrounds DIN for noise.
Someone who lets engaging European enlist again (2-5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Someone who lets: RENTER, insert E[uropean]
Maybe remove dust from behind Saint Nick (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
WIPE could certainly mean remove dust from, place it behind S[aint]. I was nervous about this, nearly making SHINE work.
Abundant amusement in vacant shed Kitty used for nefarious purposes (5,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Abundant: LUSH, amusement: FUN. As with drained beer in 11, vacant shed gives SD to surround the two. Kitty here is a cash sum, not a food item in Springfield.
Picks out large pants, saving time (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I think large pants are supposed to be SIGHS, into which you insert T[ime]. For once, pants doesn’t suggest an anagram. Hooray!
Muscle shown by East End bully punching friend (8)
Down
Girl wanting second vehicle for sailor from the east (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
“An Oriental (orig Indian) sailor” – Chambers. Girl is LASS, but without the S[econd]. Vehicle is, of course, CAR.
I comment when leaving stores for headgear (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Took me an anxious while to sort out the Yodaspeak. TARA is comment when leaving, which stores I.
Most Croesus-like king, one hoarder of treasure? (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Croesus is the legendary 6th century BCE King of Lydia, the Elon Musk of his day. R[ex] for king, plus I (one) plus CHEST for hoarder of treasure.
Birds caught with trouble are located among larks (13)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
C[aught] with AIL for trouble and LIE for are located, all contained withing CAPERS for larks, as in high jinks.
V sign America's leader deployed at borders (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
As in Spurs V Coventry (sorry Coventry!). An anagram (deployed) of SIGN plus A[merica’s] leader, with AT at the borders.
Ambassador's absorbed by sign one will offer alternative terms (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Ambassador’s gives H[is] E[xcellency]’S (keep the ‘S). Surround with TAURUS, one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
Influencer is TikTok's first to follow Chuck Berry's cover (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IS plus the first letter of T[ikTok] follows LOB for Chuck (with a small C) and BY for the cover of B[err]Y
Need cash when tailored clothes shrink — it's a nasty feeling (13)
Cracking shooting jackets South American returned (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Shooting is FIRING, which encloses (Jackets) S[outh] plus US for American returned.
The person setting up stage show initially stresses (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The person setting is ME (if you see what I mean) which is up, meaning reversed. PHASE stands in for stage, and the S from the initial letter of S[how] completes.
Glaring, upset detective overwhelmed by incident (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Our detective, a DI, is upset to be reversed, and surrounded by EVENT for incident.
Wham too forcefully finished popular song? (7)
Free book prefaces with a line of The Woman in White? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
RID for free, prefaced by B[ook], concluded with A L[ine]
Ex-president saving man I'm not sure is more faithful (5)
Type letters or click words in the clue