Clues
Across
- 1 Adapt to water level in retreat (4)
- 4 Paddles about causing sharp pain (4)
- 6 Dobermann ultimately retains void contract (5)
- 7 High point for medium in service without hope of return (4)
- 8 Look over fortification (4)
Down
- 1 Stake raised by Sicilian boomer? (4)
- 2 Scandinavian eating cake’s first to tango? (5)
- 3 Tangled teal yarn (4)
- 4 Stalemate as North Korean leaders fell (4)
- 5 Bad parking causes prang (4)
Setter’s notes
I hope I haven’t struck too many bum notes. This one has a lot of reversals, for which sameness I can only apologise.
Across
- 1 “Water level” = TIDE, in retreat (reversed) — EDIT, “adapt”.
- 4 “Paddles” = BATS, about (reversed) — STAB, a sharp pain.
- 6 Hidden (“retains”) in “dobermANN ULtimately” — ANNUL, “void contract”.
- 7 “Medium” = M, in “service without hope of return” = ACE — ACME, the high point.
- 8 “Look” = PEEK, over (reversed) — KEEP, a fortification.
Down
- 1 “Stake” = ANTE, raised (reversed) — ETNA, the Sicilian boomer.
- 2 “Scandinavian” = DANE, eating the first of “Cake” — DANCE, to tango.
- 3 An anagram (“tangled”) of TEAL — TALE, “yarn”.
- 4 The leaders of “Stalemate As North Korean” — SANK, “fell”.
- 5 “Bad” = BUM + “parking” = P — BUMP, a prang.
My key regret: I couldn’t find a fair way to clue 5 Down with some variant on “parking at rear”.