| DISAPPEARINGINK | Medium for secret messages, and a hint to making sense of 12 Down answers |
| INVISIBLEINK | Medium for secret messages |
| CODE | Medium for secret messages |
| EMOJI | Smiley you send in text messages and a word added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2015 |
| RAINOUT | Unwanted outcome for a sports match...and a hint as to how to make sense of twelve across answers in this puzzle |
| DONTLOOKATME | "I had nothing to do with it!" . . . or how to make sense of twelve of this puzzle's clues |
| NOTE | A message and a key (4) |
| CODES | They're used for secret messages |
| PRAISE | Express approval of, and, if reparsed, a hint to making sense of five pairs of answers |
| TEEUP | Prepare to drive, and a hint to making sense of six pairs of Across answers |
| POPUPAD | Bit of Web clutter, and a hint to making sense of four answers in this puzzle |
| NOISECANCELLING | Like some headphones and a hint to making sense of the answers to the starred clues |
| RINGSIDE | Choice seating at a boxing match, and a hint to making sense of the peripheral answers |
| NOWIN | Kind of situation, and a hint to making sense of the starred answers |
| CIRCLESBACK | Brings up a prior topic ... or a hint to making sense of the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| TAKEITAWAY | "Let the show begin," and a hint to making sense of the starred clues' answers |
| COUP | Overthrow, or, if reparsed, a hint to making sense of four pairs of Across answers |
| FLOWER | Garden sight, and, if reparsed, a hint to making sense of 10 answers in this puzzle |
| IRONCLAD | Unbreakable, and a hint to making sense of seven answers in this puzzle |
| BAND | Group of players, or, if spaced, a hint to making sense of six Across answers |
