| BADCHOLESTEROL | Nickname for the three-letter abbreviation hidden in this puzzle's theme entries |
| FOUROCLOCK | Traditional hour for the 3-letter beverage that starts each of the starred entries |
| COREBUSINESS | Company's main activity, and a hint to a different three-letter abbreviation hidden in 19-, 27- and |
| ISS | Three-letter abbreviation for the large space station currently in Earth orbit. Its first parts were the Russian control module Zarya, launched November 20, 1998, and the U.S.-built Unity connecting n |
| DAYANDNIGHT | All the time, as well as a hint to the abbreviations hidden in the starred answers |
| HFC | Three-letter abbreviation for any of several organic compounds composed of hydrogen, fluorine, and carbon. |
| ETC | Three-letter abbreviation for a two-word term |
| FUN | Apt word for this puzzle's theme, found by using the three letters that appear nowhere else in this entire puzzle's grid |
| COLLEGEDROPOUTS | Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, famously, and a hint to some three-letter abbreviations in this puzzle |
| NETFLIX | Where the six starred movies ought to be streaming, considering the three-letter sequence in their titles |
| LAX | What is the three-letter code for Los Angeles International Airport? (1,1,1) |
| EXPERIENCEPOINT | *Gaming term whose two-letter abbreviation is hidden in each starred answer (find all five examples to master this puzzle!) |
| LIUCIXIN | Author who, in 2015, became the first Asian to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel, for "The Three-Body Problem" |
| DMC | The three letters on the DeLorean's grille (3) |
| TOE | Lowest of the three- letter body parts |
| TEN | Largest of all the three-letter numbers |
| OVERFLOW | Turns up, is looking for the three little pigs for Father Ring in flood (8) |
| ICEMEN | Occupation for the Three Stooges in "An Ache in Every Stake" |
| CAREOF | Postal phrase with a two-letter abbreviation separated by a slash |
| LOL | Cyber-chuckle hidden in this puzzle's theme entries |
