| GAMECHANGER | Cause of a major paradigm shift, and an apt description of 17-, 25-, 37-, and 51-Across as well as their sets of circled letters |
| FINALFOUR | March Madness quartet ... or, collectively, the second parts of 17-, 25-, 37- and 51-Across? |
| DIDDLYSQUAT | What the exercise regimen in 17-, 25-, 37- and 51-Across is worth? |
| MAKEITNEAT | "Straight up, please," to match 17-, 25-, 37-, and 51-Across? |
| WEREALLSET | "Ready to go!" ... or a description of 17-, 25-, 37- and |
| CANDYCOATED | Like M&M's, and an apt description of 17-, 27- and 48- Across |
| MUSICALCHAIRS | A series of interrelated shifts and changes involving a number of people, a term based on a children |
| OTOOLE | Actor noted for roles in films and on stage such as T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia and Arthur Chipping in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1'5) |
| APPLEOFDISCORD | Small cause of a major conflict |
| TNT | Cause of a major downfall? |
| DST | Period that ends Nov. 3rd, requiring a shift, and letters that shift in this puzzle's theme entries |
| ATAT | Armoured land vehicle forming part of the Imperial Army in The Empire Strikes Back, referred to as t |
| ADAPT | Adjust to a paradigm shift (5) |
| GLAMROCK | Style of music associated with bands such as T.rex (4,4) |
| SKILIFTS | Snowfield transport systems such as T-bars, gondolas and funitels (3-5) |
| EPITOME | Paradigm shift in poem: it has terminal consonance (7) |
| SEACHANGE | Paradigm shift that can affect the starred answers without altering their clues |
| DIAGRAM | Outline all but first of paradigm shifts |
| GAMECHANGERS | Causes of serious paradigm shifts |
| CHANGEOFHEART | Attitude shift, and the shift found in five letters in the answer to each starred clue |
