Polar by Kea

Puzzle explanation

Five symmetrically placed adjectival answers were replaced by their polar opposites, which all rhyme: 13ac TIGHT, 20ac BRIGHT, 30ac LIGHT, 1dn WHITE, 27dn RIGHT. Clues for the unaffected entries had one word replaced by its opposite.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Opposite Answer Explanation
Across
1   BADER (A in (RED + B)) <
5 activity/inactivity NON-TERM NORM around TEN *
11 arrival/departure POGOING PO + GOING
12   APODS AP + ODS
13   LOOSE LOO + S(cal)E
14   CUBA CUB + (pir)A(tes)
15 bad/good GUILDER G + BUILDER − B
16   KYRIE (Val)KYRIE
17 alive/dead STEDDE (roa)STED DE(ad)
20   STUPID (DI + PUTS) <
23 first/last ANELED LEADEN *
26   ASKEW AS + KEW
28 late/early TANAGER TEENAGER with A for EE
29   TORR 2 meanings
30   HEAVY HE + AY around V(iolence)
32   CHINO CHIN + O’
33 off/on WOE UNTO (WON OUT) * around E
34 forward/backward RED DEER D in REEDER <
35   SUING SING around U
Down
1   BLACK B + LACK
2 unsure/sure APPUYS (SPA around YUP) <
3 everything/nothing DOOBRIE (O + O) in BRIDE *
4 top/bottom ROSIE OSIER with last letter moved to start
5   NILGAU NIL + GAU
6 unnatural/natural ONKUS (SUK + NO) <
7   TOOLED TOO LED
8   EGO EG + O
9   RASED DEAR < around S
10   MEERED MEED around RE
18 after/before DAKOITI DA + KO + IT + I
19   BATHER THE in BAR
20   SLAVED SLAD(e) around (V + E)
21   PARTER PARTER(re)
22 female/male VERNON (RENO + NV) *
24   NAEVE A in NEVE
25 down/up DEFOE ((Duk)E OF ED(inburgh)) <
26 irregularly/regularly ARCUS A(i)R (S)C(o)U(t)S
27   WRONG (GR + W) < around ON
31   AID (m)A(p) (om)I(ts) (An)D(es)
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