| GOONABENDER | Binge, or a hint to each starred answer's body part and two letters above it |
| CATCHINGSOMESUN | Enjoying a summer afternoon ... or what each starred clue's answer has been doing, based on its altered word and three letters above it? |
| TEAR | A rip, a binge or a sign of sadness (4) |
| PIPERACK | Supporter of smokers in 14 down, for the most part, and 2 down (4,4) |
| BLINDSIDES | Surprises unpleasantly, and a hint to each starred answer's first two + last two letters |
| EARLYBIRD | First to arrive, say, or a hint to each starred answer's first few letters |
| FIRSTDANCE | Traditional start of a wedding reception, or a hint to each starred answer's opening letters |
| COINTOSS | Fifty-fifty flip, or a hint to each starred answer's first four letters |
| SIDEBAR | Article accompaniment, and a hint to each starred answer's location and missing word |
| CROPTOPS | Navel-revealing shirts, and a hint to each starred answer's first few letters |
| DROPPEDCALL | Telecom company's concern, or a hint to each starred answer's word-spanning connection descriptor |
| WOODGRAIN | Tree texture, or a hint to each starred answer's pair of hidden words |
| MINCEMEAT | Holiday pie choice, and a hint to each starred answer's hidden anagrammed word |
| SHORTCHANGE | Treat unfairly, or a hint to each starred answer's scrambled last word |
| LIGHTUP | Brighten, or a hint to each starred answer's vertical continuation |
| ALLSWELL | "We're doing OK!" ... or, read differently, a hint to each starred answer's first word |
| USBPORT | PC connection site, and a hint to each starred answer |
| EATENALIVE | Mobbed by mosquitoes ... or a hint to each starred clue's answer, based on the word that surrounds it |
| CHEESEBALLS | Tasteless sorts, or a hint to each starred group of circled letters |
| EYEOPENING | Astonishing and enlightening ... or a phonetic hint to each starred clue's answer |