| BREAKOUTINHIVES | Develop a certain allergic reaction ... and a punny description related to 66- |
| STANDINGOS | Enthusiastic audience reactions, and a feature of the answers to the starred clues |
| SNEEZE | Certain allergic reaction |
| RASH | Certain allergic reaction |
| EMOJIS | Graphic reactions and a drink making an appearance during monthly loan payments (6) |
| ETC | Abbr. related to 66-Across |
| POWER | Ability to develop a certain amount of prowess (5) |
| OVERLOADED | Carrying way too much, and a punny description of four Across answers in this puzzle |
| RUNNINGJOKES | *Recurring gags... and a punny description of this puzzle's theme |
| VICIOUSCYCLES | Hard patterns to break ... or a punny description of the climbs up the circled letters |
| EYESONTHEPRIZE | "Stay focused"... or a punny description of the placement of this puzzle's circled letters |
| REPEATOFFENDERS | Record holders? (and a punny hint to this puzzle's anomalies) |
| REVERSECOURSE | Do the opposite, and a punny hint to this puzzle's circled letters |
| DNA | Letters in a cell, and a punny description of 16-, 25-, 43-, and 56-Across |
| LINKINGVERB | Word such as "be" ... or a punny description of the seven-letter word that can create new action words when its letters are inserted in the breaks of the circled action words |
| AOWNTIMES | Rest periods ... and a punny alternate title for today's puzzle |
| GOLD | A yellow, malleable, ductile high density metallic element resistant to chemical reaction and precious as monetary medium, in jewelry, etc. |
| PEPSIN | Writer conceals pressures? That's bound to cause gut reaction and breakdown! (6) |
| CREATION | Big Bang boffins bow to bishops' alternative reaction - and that's gospel (8) |
| DOUBLECLICK | Work with mouse to contribute largely to 66 at bingo? (6-5) |
