| BEARHUG | It's soft, strong, and demonstrated by this puzzle's four theme |
| CLUE | 1985 cult-classic film with the line "Husbands should be like Kleenex: soft, strong, and disposable" |
| STATIONBREAKS | Program interruptions literally demonstrated by this puzzle's four sets of circles |
| SCRABBLE | Game described by this puzzle's four racks |
| HEX | Spell "bound" by this puzzle's four longest answers |
| ATTESTED | Confirmed time and demonstrated, supporting American (8) |
| PROVOKED | Offended and demonstrated accepting fine (8) |
| OTTO | Forename of the air-pump inventor who believed Earth was as light as a feather and demonstrated that his copper Magdeburg hemispheres could create such a vacuum that 16 horses could not pull them apar |
| IOU | "Marker" and letters dropped from this puzzle's four theme entries |
| AGAINSTTHEGRAIN | Rebelliously, perhaps (and a hint to this puzzle's four theme answers) |
| SPACEFORCE | New government agency pushed by the White House in recent weeks -- or, collectively, what this puzzle's four theme celebrities might be called |
| VEGETARIANS | What this puzzle's four theme entries are |
| ATOZ | Comprehensive... or, what this puzzle's four theme entries go from |
| TLC | Source of healing found in this puzzle's four theme answers |
| HORROR | Genre for the just-released Octavia Spencer movie "Ma" -- which provides the initials of this puzzle's four theme entries |
| JLO | "Jenny From the Block" singer's nickname, which forms the basis for this puzzle's four theme entries |
| ABBA | So-called "enclosed" rhyme scheme (as demonstrated by this puzzle's first four Across answers) |
| PLAYHORSE | Take part in an add-a-letter basketball game, as demonstrated by this puzzle's theme answers |
| INSIDEKNOWLEDGE | Privileged information demonstrated by this puzzle's circles |
| BUCKSKIN | A soft, strong leather that comes from a deer or goat (8) |
