| OPENANDSHUTCASE | Easy-to-resolve situation ... or a hint to the progression found in 20-, 23-, 43-, 46- and 58-Across |
| BRINGUPTOSPEED | Loop in, and a hint to the progression found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues |
| DOWNSIZING | Cornerstone of the Konmari method, and the progression found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| CHANGEOFPACE | Welcome break in one's routine, or the progression found at the starts of 20-, 33-, and 43-Across |
| REVOLVINGDOOR | Entrance of a sort, and a hint to the progression in the circles |
| GROWINGSEASON | Period of agricultural development, and a hint to the progression seen in the starred answers' last words |
| FINESSE | Delicacy and elegant skill in style or performance; subtlety and tact in handling/manipulating situations; or, a technique to win a trick in bridge (7) |
| RINGCYCLE | Quartet of Wagnerian operas, and a hint to the progression in this puzzle's circled letters |
| RATTRAP | A net/snare for catching long-tailed mouse-like murids; a place of squalor; a horribly entangling situation; or, a bike pedal with teeth or a cage (3,4) |
| DAVY | Cornish chemist whose invention of a firedamp safety lamp decreased the number of fatalities of miners and contributed to the progression of the industrialisation of Britain (4) |
| APPROACH | An avenue or drive; draw near to; a means of dealing with a job, problem or situation; or, the way in which an aircraft comes in to land (8) |
| CODESWITCH | What a bilingual speaker may do in different situations...or a three-part theme hint |
| IFTHESHOEFITS | Abridged maxim about accepting an apt description, and a hint to this puzzle's theme found in 20-, 3 |
| EXITPURSUED | Prosecuted corrupt abbey and its leader during way-out cat-call in the 20 23 (4,7,2,1,4) |
| SPOT | A location; an awkward situation; or, a small amount (4) |
| INTONATION | The way you say things can turn each of 1, 4, 12, 18, 20, 23 and 14 (twice) this (10) |
| KOS | Boxing stats found in 20- and 60- Across and 11and 34- |
| TOTALGRIDLOCK | Nightmarish Manhattan traffic situation ... or a possible title for this puzzle |
| BEDOFROSES | Thorny situation, or a very comfortable one? (3,2,5) |
| CAPTAIN | With 37-Across, title for the hidden individuals in 16-, 23-, 46-, and 58-Across, thanks to the circles in each answer? |
