| KOREANBBQ | Meat-centric cuisine whose first seven letters are an anagram of "on break": 2 wds., 1 Abbr. |
| ONTHEFENCE | Phrase meaning "torn between decisions" whose first seven letters are an anagram of the first seven of "ten of hearts": 3 wds. (Theme answer: The first word is the opposite of the first word of 25-Acr |
| NORIA | Buckets-on-a-wheel device (anagram of ON-AIR) |
| AFTERS | Where seven letters are in "pudding" |
| WILLFORTE | Actor whose middle seven letters are a synonym for "sick" + a military base: 2 wds. (Theme answer: The first word is a synonym for the second word of 20-Across, and the second word can mean "strong.") |
| COCOABEAN | Edible trea pod whose first six letters are an anagram of the last six letters of "tobacco": 2 wds. |
| PREWORK | School task completed in advance of a lesson whose first five letters are an anagram of "power" |
| YEET | Expression of excitement whose first three letters are an anagram of a body part |
| WINEAROMA | Pleasant smell of a grape-based alcoholic beverage whose first seven letters anagram to "on a wire": 2 wds. (Theme answer: The circled letters spell a synonym for "close") |
| DOGTREAT | Special piece of food given to a canine pet: 2 wds. (Theme answer: The circled letters are an anagram of a word in the puzzle's title) |
| NOTGREAT | "Less than fine" equivalent whose second word anagrams to "retag": 2 wds. (Theme answer: The circled letters are an anagram of a word in the puzzle's title) |
| MAPLE | Tree whose first four letters are an anagram of another tree |
| GRENADE | Dangerous item whose first six letters are an anagram of DANGER |
| SAILORMOON | Animated protagonist whose first seven letters anagram to "Mirasol": 2 wds. (Theme answer: A person who works on a ship is followed by a celestial body) |
| NOSPOILERS | Request for someone to keep a movie's plot secret whose first seven letters anagram to "loops in": 2 wds. |
| ANDSTARRING | Phrase that introduces a main actor whose first seven letters anagram to "sand art": 2 wds. |
| NAILTRIM | Pet salon offering whose first seven letters anagram to "Ritalin": 2 wds. (Theme answer: A body part similar to a talon is followed by a synonym for "cut shorter") |
| TAROICECREAM | Sweet purple treat whose first seven letters anagram to "erotica": 3 wds. (Theme answer: The circled letters spell a word in this puzzle's title.) |
| THATCHECKSOUT | Phrase similar to "it adds up" whose first seven letters anagram to "hatchet" and last word is the opposite of "in": 3 wds. |
| SAIDNOTO | Phrase meaning "rejected" whose first two words are an anagram of "Adonis": 3 wds. |
