| CHOKE | Epic mess-up at a critical moment |
| DROPTHEB | Mess up at a critical moment |
| DROP | With 5-Down and 2-Down, mess up at a critical moment ... or participate in a New Year's Eve tradition? |
| LIFESAVER | Something that comes to your aid at a critical moment (9) |
| INTHENICKOFTIME | Imprisoned old fellow must get over sentence just at a critical moment (2,3,4,2,4) |
| WHENTHECHIPS | What gets enciphered, shown unscrambled at a critical moment (4,3,5,3,4) |
| AREDOWN | What gets enciphered, shown unscrambled at a critical moment (4,3,5,3,4) |
| POINT | Sharp end of a pin or a sword; a nib; or, a critical moment (5) |
| KNIFEEDGE | One should be keen at such a critical moment (5,4) |
| JUNCTURE | Constant routine kept up in month: a critical moment |
| MATCHPOINT | Light to indicate a critical moment on court (5-5) |
| BREAKINGPOINT | Having accident with pencil? It's a critical moment |
| CRUNCH | It is a critical moment to crush something (6) |
| TURNINGPOINT | A critical moment (7,5) |
| FLASHPOINT | Display bill: it’s a critical moment |
| PUNCTURED | Burst of power a critical moment when striking Jack Dempsey's head (9) |
| NEGOTIATE | Get into a mess-up, at the end, so has to hammer out a deal (9) |
| JAMAICAN | Caribbean islander in predicament at a CIA mess-up at front of Nassau (8) |
| BUTCHERAJOKE | Mess up at open mic night, as a comedian might |
| DISSEMINATES | I mess up at home, surrounded by girlfriends and sows (12) |
