| BEDSPREAD | Quilt, e.g. ... and a hint to the circled letters |
| MIXEDMEDIA | Artwork using both paint and collage, e.g. ... and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters |
| TIGHTENDS | Travis Kelce and George Kittle, e.g., and a hint to the starred clues' answers |
| MIXEDNUMBERS | 5A½ and 8A¾, e.g. ... and a hint to this puzzle's circles |
| MOVIEELEMENTS | Plot, character, lighting, e.g., and a hint to the starred answers |
| OPENINGMOVE | Queen's gambit, e.g., and a hint to each circled imperative |
| TIEBREAKER | Overtime, e.g., and a hint to what spans the two words of each starred answer |
| AUCTIONEERSCALL | Sold, e.g., and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| POKER | Stud, e.g., and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| DWARFPLANET | Ceres, e.g. (and a hint to something in this puzzle) |
| FLIPPHONE | Motorola Razr, e.g., and a hint to each set of circles |
| MONEYBACK | Change, e.g., and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| BTWENTYNINE | Enola Gay, e.g. (and a hint to this puzzle's unusual feature) |
| WINDFALL | Jackpot, e.g., and a hint to completing four puzzle answers |
| CODESWITCH | Say "See you ma-ana," e.g . ... and a hint to each set of circles |
| SEWS | Adds a border to a quilt, e.g. |
| BORDERTOWN | San Diego or Detroit, e.g., and a description of a hidden word in this puzzle |
| BLANKETSTATEMENT | "I'm making a quilt," e.g. |
| SEW | Make a quilt, e.g. |
| NAMECHANGE | "Clay" to "Ali," e.g., and a hint to 17-Across and 11- and 28-Down |