| BACKUPPLAN | Alternative strategy, or a hint to the word whose letters progress in reverse through 18-, 23-, 36-, 49- and 59-Across |
| PLANB | Alternative strategy; or, an album by Huey Lewis and the News (4,1) |
| RASHBLONDE | *Light-haired person who acts hastily? (note how the starred answers' added letters progress in the grid) |
| LYCRA | One of the words whose initial letter is used to form the acronym "Mamil" (5) |
| OVERTURNS | Reverses through, then goes |
| MOLE | Secret agent ... and a word whose letters, when applied to this puzzle's secret agents, hint at a four-digit code |
| APNEA | Condition that I was recently diagnosed with, and a word whose letters interrupt the circled words |
| SUNRISESUNSET | Classic Broadway show tune, or a hint to the word ladder revealed by the answers to the eight starre |
| WARANDPEACE | Classic novel of 1,000+ pages ... or a hint to the word ladder formed by the answers to the starred |
| BACKUPPLANS | "Just in case" arrangements, and a hint to the word hidden in reverse in each starred answer |
| HIDDENGEM | Masterpiece waiting to be found ... or a hint to the words in the circled letters |
| URGE | Word whose letters are aptly found in order in "encourage" |
| SON | Word whose letters are aptly found from left to right in "scion" |
| GREAT | Word whose letters are used to spell this puzzle's five longest answers |
| ANAGRAM | Word whose letters are a rearrangement of another's, like CANOE for OCEAN |
| SHARKINFESTEDWATERS | Dangerous area for those in the top row of this puzzle, and a hint to the words under the six black tins in the grid |
| INNERCIRCLE | Small, influential group ... and a hint to the word hidden in each answer to a starred clue |
| KEYCHANGE | A to B, for one ... or a hint to the word scrambled within each starred clue's answer |
| WORLDTRAVELER | Globe-trotter, or a hint to the word progressing through the starred clues' answers |
| SLIDINGDOOR | Space-efficient divider between rooms ... or a hint to the word at the edges of the starred clues' answers |
