| EARLYBIRD | First to arrive, say, or a hint to each starred answer's first few letters |
| CROPTOPS | Navel-revealing shirts, and a hint to each starred answer's first few letters |
| CIRCUMFERENCE | Knight to arrive, say, with criminal about to enter perimeter (13) |
| COINTOSS | Fifty-fifty flip, or a hint to each starred answer's first four letters |
| BLINDSIDES | Surprises unpleasantly, and a hint to each starred answer's first two + last two letters |
| ALLSWELL | "We're doing OK!" ... or, read differently, a hint to each starred answer's first word |
| OPENINGDAY | Annual ballpark occurrence, or a hint to the first few letters of each starred entry |
| OUTSIDEHELP | Assistance from a tutor, say...or a hint to the starred answers' indicated letters |
| FIRSTDANCE | Traditional start of a wedding reception, or a hint to each starred answer's opening letters |
| READALOUD | *Woodwind permitted, say ... or a hint to sounding out the answers to the starred clues? |
| INDOOROUTDOOR | Multipurpose, say ... or a hint to the starred answers' starts |
| GOONABENDER | Binge, or a hint to each starred answer's body part and two letters above it |
| UPLOADS | Puts on a server, say ... or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| TITLECHARACTERS | *Many protagonists, and a hint to the four letters that make up each starred answer's first word |
| DEADAHEAD | Directly in your path, or a hint to what can precede each starred answer's first word |
| LOSTART | Letter writing, they say ... or a hint to eight answers in this puzzle |
| 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 |
| SHORTCHANGE | Treat unfairly, or a hint to each starred answer's scrambled last word |
| BREAKSCHARACTER | Can't hold back laughter while performing, say ... or a hint to the circled letters |
