Wordplay by Schadenfreude

Puzzle explanation

Letters omitted by wordplay were in unchecked cells, allowing at least two possible answers. The correct letter choices gave ALTERNATIVES, which can be read as “alter natives”; 36ac was thus altered to NATIONS, a definition for the wordplay-only answers, creating STERNS, which as a verb can mean “rows backward”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer [omitted letter] Explanation
Across
1 LAMEDH LAME + DH
6 ANATT[A], ANATT[O] TAN < after A + T
11 [L]IBERIA, [S]IBERIA IBERIA
13 TANGIBLE (I’ + B) in TANGLE
14 METAL MET + LA <
15 AREOL[A], AREOL[E] ARE + O’ + L
16 WEANERS WERE* around (A + N) + S
18 CHA[D], CHA[R] C + HA
19 [N]EST, [R]EST, [V]EST E’S + T
21 HOEDOWN HO + E + DOWN
23 SINUATE SITUATE with IN for IT
25 ALM[A], ALM[E] AM around L
27 [H]ERN, [P]ERN, [T]ERN RE < + N
29 MAINTOP M + (TRAIN − R)* + OP
31 COGNAC CAN < after COG
33 BENN[E], BENN[I] BEN + ’N’
35 SRI LANKA (SR + LANK + A) around I
36 NATIVES (I + V) in NATES
37 BRAI[S]E, BRAI[Z]E A in BRIE
38 SNEAPS SS around NEAP
Down
1 HAMLET HAM + LET
2 DI[K]A, DI[T]A (AI + D) <
3 ERITREA (IT + RE + A) after ER
4 MÊLÉE LEE after ME
5 LILIAN NAIL < around LI
7 TOILWORN OR in (TOIL + W + N)
8 TOGO TO + GO
9 APNEA AP + NEA(t)
10 ATTACH ATTACHÉ − E
12 WARHOL WAR + HO + L
17 NONPOLAR (PR ON LOAN)*
20 STRAKE ST + RAKE
22 EMANATE E + MANDATE − D
23 ENCASE EN + CASE
24 STERES S + SECRET < − C
26 AMBANS A + MAN’S around B
28 ENNUI U in (t)ENNI(s)
30 INDIA IN + AID <
32 GA[E]A, GA[I]A AG < + AU − U
34 E[U]AN, E[V]AN, E[W]AN EA + N
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