I’m saying it is

Container

RUT (synonym="‘habit’") in MYTH (synonym="‘what’s not real’") = MYTRUTH; definition: "I'm saying it is"

crack

Anagram

An anagram (‘comic’) of ‘patte[r]’ minus the R (‘not right’) plus MT (‘starts to M ake T asteless’). — Fifteensquared

artist

Deletion

DURER (deletion) = DURER; definition: "artist"

oblivious

Container

An envelope (‘keeping’) of D (‘daughter’) in IN THE ARK (‘safe from the flood’). — Fifteensquared

Sex

Charade

LOVE (synonym of "Nothing") + MAKING (synonym of "doing!"); definition: "Sex?"

Vale

Anagram

An anagram (‘having failed’) of ‘le[avi]ng’ minus its middle letters (‘disheartened’, although the extent of the heart is not defined). — Fifteensquared

now

Anagram

anagram of SIN (synonym="‘wrong’") + THISTANT (synonym="THISTANT") = THISINSTANT; definition: "now"

Meal

Spoonerism

A Spoonerism of LACKED PUNCH (‘needed something alcoholic’). — Fifteensquared

country

Deletion

The best I can suggest is I RAN[t] (‘Vlad crosswords reportedly’, with ‘crosswords’ fancifully as use cross words) minus the last letter (‘finish off’). — Fifteensquared

he’s not himself

Anagram

anagram of ROYAL + 'LEPER' = ROLEPLAYER; definition: "— he's not himself"

university

Charade

An envelope (‘in’) of R (‘Romeo’, radio code) in PIN (‘fix’) plus C ( circa , ‘around’) plus ETON (‘college’). — Fifteensquared

Cancel

Charade

A charade of E (‘cultur E ‘s ending’) plus RA[i]SE (‘construct’) minus its middle letter (‘heartless’). — Fifteensquared

material

Charade

A charade of N (‘comedia N ‘s back’) plus AN (‘one’) plus KEEN (‘incisive’). — Fifteensquared

Coming

Anagram

anagram of ON, + TRIES = INSTORE; definition: "Coming"

part of course

Charade

An envelope (‘to cover’) of L (‘large’) in MO ( modus operandi , ‘working method’) plus DUE (‘required’). — Fifteensquared

Flourish

Charade

A charade of T (‘ T rumpets at the start’) plus HRIVE, an envelope (‘entering’) of R ( rex , ‘king’) in HIVE (‘queen’s home’ – queen bee, that is). — Fifteensquared

unbroken

Anagram

anagram of ITEM + TURNED = UNREMITTED; definition: "unbroken"

cricket shot (not one for purists)

Container

An envelope (‘gained by’) of O (‘nothing’) in HICK (‘rustic’). — Fifteensquared

8!

Anagram

AT (synonym="AT") + TEN (synonym="‘that’s early in the morning for some’") + TION (synonym="TION") = ATTENTION; definition: "8!"

Next

Reversal

A charade of T (‘time’) plus HE, a reversal (‘about’) of EH? (‘what’) plus N (‘November’, radio code). — Fifteensquared

singer

Charade

MEAT (synonym="MEAT") + LOAF (synonym="‘bread’") = MEATLOAF; definition: "singer"

watch

Charade

TAKE (synonym="Accept") + NOTE (synonym="money") = TAKENOTE; definition: "watch"

they work on the surface

Charade

AS (synonym="‘like’") + PH (synonym="Public House, ‘pub’") + ALTERS (synonym="‘changes’") = ASPHALTERS

probably stolen

Anagram, Charade

anagram of TELLING ("Telling") + OT (abbreviation of "books") [anagram: "crook"] = ILLGOTTEN; definition: "(probably stolen)"

fastener

Charade

An envelope (‘carrying’) of P (‘penny’) in SPLIT (‘leave’) plus IN (‘home’). — Fifteensquared

Event

Hidden word

Hidden reversed in "event in illiNOIS ACCOunted for uprising"

Bundle of energy

Reversal

YNAM (synonym="YNAM") in DO (synonym="ditto , ‘the same’") = DYNAMO; definition: "Bundle of energy"

Suspend

Homophone

FREEZE (sounds like "band") [homophone: "radio"]; definition: "Suspend"

malaise

Charade

An envelope (‘in’) of NN (‘news’; N is ‘new’, so we have two of them here) in EU (‘European Union, ‘Brussels’) plus I (usual symbol for electrical ‘current’). — Fifteensquared

long

Container

An envelope (‘to stop’) of H (‘hard’) in ACE (‘virtuoso’). — Fifteensquared