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I have almost filled the grid but need help with 12d - No longer tear up or maintain fences. Can anyone point t me in the right direction please.

Qesue, the wordplay is 'or' fenced by a 4-letter word for maintain, leading to an obscure (hyphenated) term meaning to tear up.

Qesue, 12d. def. is the first 4 words (2-4). Parses as OR in a word for maintain.

Made good progress with the downs. My last two are 1d and 21d, hints appreciated.
Still finding the acrosses very hard!
For example, 9a, I need to change two letters, from a word that is not even in Chambers apparently!? I currently have P?UG.

1d is a 3-letter historical term for master followed by 3 of the 4 letters meaning a hired fellow, the answer being a person whose name is famous because of a term named after him.

21d, the usual two letter abbreviation for alumnus, followed by a word for venerated, symbolic losing its initial I. An obscure answer

21d is a geometric term, a 2-letter alumnus followed by a 6-letter word meaning admired minus an I.

P_ug can only be one word and only one of its letters can come from the previous answer.

Thanks Ozzy.
Yes, I know which letter has come from previous answer, and what the entry is; but my point is the original answer is too hard to establish!

I agree, lumen, and it wasn't easy to find in Collins either.

To say I am struggling with this would be a massive understatement. For 7d I only have I...R.L. are those correct?
For 1a I have ME.L.D and have to move an R, but no word exists.
Any help would be appreciated.