| CRAMSESSIONS | All-night study stints, or a hint to 20-, 26-, and 46- Across |
| SCRIMPS | Stints or saves |
| BOUT | A curve in the side of a guitar or violin; a boxing/wrestling match; or, a period, stint or turn of something, such as drinking or ill health (4) |
| COMMANDCENTER | Heart of an operation, and a hidden feature of 20-, 26-, and 46-Across |
| BEHINDTHEWHEEL | Driving a car, or an apt description of the ends of 20-, 26-, and 46-Across |
| TURNONTHECHARM | Engage in sweet talk (and a hint to 20-, 26-, and 44-Across) |
| SPLITENDS | Hairy issue, or a hint to 20-, 26- and 51-Across |
| TOWAWAYZONE | Parking sign, and a hint to 20-, 26- and 48-Across |
| SPELLOUT | Explain in detail or what the starts of 19-, 26- and 46- Across do, phonetically? |
| CRAM | Knocks back French drink in all-night study (4) |
| SMARTPILLOW | High-tech all-night study aid? |
| CLOUT | Influence ... and a hint to 20-, 26-, 46- and 56-Across |
| AHEADOFTHEGAME | In an advantageous position, or where both halves of the answers to 20-, 26-, and 44-Across can be placed? |
| AIRPLANESEATS | What the ends of the answers to 20-, 26- and 42-Across are |
| POP | Genre for 1- & 22-Across, 22- & 26-Across, 26- & 46-Across and 46- & 49-Across |
| TURNABOUT | Two stints needed to secure a complete change of policy |
| ADAMTHOMAS | Former Emmerdale actor with stints on I'm A Celebrity... and Strictly Come Dancing (4,6) |
| DEEPSEATEDFEARS | Entrenched anxieties, or a hint to the word hidden in 17-, 26- and 46-Across |
| TANDZ | Initials of our eight theme entries; they're wishing you a happy New Year as letters 20, 26 |
| WILD | Tigers can live between 20-26 Years in the ___ |
