| CORNERSTONE | Place to find a date ... and any one of four in this puzzle (circled letters are hints) |
| DEVICE | Name shared by a heraldic emblem and any one of a number of machines or implements |
| PIXAR | Company whose movies, not counting sequels, are all included in this puzzle [Circled Squares: 2009] |
| CAPITALGAINS | What this puzzle's circled letters are with respect to the surrounding shaded squares? |
| UNDERTHEWEATHER | Not up to par ... or, aptly, what this puzzle's circled letters are |
| TETRADS | Groups of four, and what's spelled out by the groups of four in this puzzle's theme answers |
| RUDOLPH | Who's depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A |
| POETSCORNER | Westminster Abbey attraction, and one of four in this puzzle |
| MINUTEHAND | Indicator on a clock ... or one of four in this puzzle? |
| HOTCORNER | Third base, in baseball lingo, or one of four in this puzzle |
| STRAIGHTMEN | Some actors ... like the four in this puzzle, when their names are written in uppercase letters |
| HOMEISWHERETHEHEARTIS | Phrase about feeling a strong connection to a particular place, and a hint for substituting letters in this puzzle's circled squares |
| WASH | One of four in this puzzle |
| ACE | One of four in this puzzle |
| MAKINGAPACT | Formally agreeing to terms, and what this puzzle's sets of circled letters are gradually doing |
| VICESQUAD | Deputy's one of four in this part of the police force (4,5) |
| RINGCYCLE | Quartet of Wagnerian operas, and a hint to the progression in this puzzle's circled letters |
| WESTERNUNION | Big name in money transfers, and a hint to the neighbors found in this puzzle's circled letters |
| CLUE | One of twenty-four in this puzzle |
| OASIS | Place to find a date in the desert |
