| OMNIDIRECTIONAL | Like the answers to eight starred clues ... and a hint as to how to fill them in |
| WHISTLEDOWN | Anonymous gossip columnist on "Bridgerton" whose real identity can be found by reading the first letters of the Across clues ... and a hint to the grid's circled letters |
| EVERYTHINGBUT | Musicians Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and a hint as to how to enter answers to asterisked clues * (13) |
| DROPTHEBALL | Lose focus, and a visual hint to solving seven Across clues and a literal hint to seven Down answers |
| RAINOUT | Unwanted outcome for a sports match...and a hint as to how to make sense of twelve across answers in this puzzle |
| BLANK | Like the squares in this crossword before you fill them in |
| UNETHICAL | Mysterious clue and a hint that's wrong (9) |
| RXS | Pharmacies fill them, in brief |
| IFIWEREYOU | Lead-in to a bit of advice, and a hint as to how 17-, 24-, 37- and 45-Across might arise |
| STANDUPCOMICS | Dave Chappelle and Dane Cook ... or a literal hint to the answers to the eight starred clues |
| RANDD | Corporate division, informally ... or a hint to the answers to the eight starred clues |
| PANDG | Consumer products giant, for short ... or a hint to the answers to the eight starred clues |
| LADYBIRD | 2017 film nominated for Best Picture ... or a hint to the answers to the eight starred clues |
| STILLIRISE | Classic Maya Angelou poem ... or a hint to the answers to the starred clues and the circled letters, in two different ways |
| PHONETIC | Like the alphabet that includes the answers to the starred clues ... and an anagram of the eight cir |
| ATLAS | Mythological figure hinted at by the answers to the eight starred clues as well as this puzzle's des |
| INBED | How breakfast may be served ... or how the answers to the eight starred clues should be entered? |
| DOWNANDDIRTY | Done in a quick but effective manner ... or like the answers to the three starred clues? |
| AGELESS | Like someone who appears untouched by time, and like the answers to the starred clues? |
| ICECREAM | *Foundation ingredient of a treat built upward in the answers to starred clues and spelled downward in the circles |
