| LONERS | Single sorts, and the letters dropped from pairs in the theme answers |
| ADDITIONBYSUBTRACTION | Strategy for improving a business through downsizing ... and a literal description of the letters dropped from this puzzle's businesses |
| DUETS | Airs from pairs |
| LAMB | Gentle sort, and the March-weather |
| IOU | "Marker" and letters dropped from this puzzle's four theme entries |
| RANDR | Time off, briefly ... or two letters dropped from each starred clue's answer |
| HIS | The letter dropped is not hers (3) |
| GORE | Environmental activist, and the letters changed in the theme answers |
| NOTWOAREALIKE | Description of snowflakes ... and the letters within each of the answers to the starred clues |
| CONSONANT | Any of the 21 speech sounds in the English language, other than vowels, and the letters representing |
| RAD | "Awesome!" (and the letters seen on the outside of each theme answer) |
| ROCKBOTTOM | With 133, the name of the band whose members appear in the theme answers. (They disbanded in 2012 af |
| OPPOSITES | Antonyms, like the pairs in the answers to out with it, headbutt, historical novel and cold open |
| ESSAY | Short article, and a hint to completing the titles in the theme answers |
| HOTANDCOLD | How emotions may blow, and a hint to the switches in the theme answers |
| STEVENSON | Actress who stars in films including Truly, Madly, Deeply and The Letters (9) |
| POWHATAN | Father of Pocahontas (and example of the hidden word in the theme answers--this one just happens to be consecutive) |
| ABC | "Castle" carrier and item hidden in the theme answers |
| GMO | Bio-engineered life form, for short, and something hidden in the theme answers |
| FLIPTHEBIRD | Action needed to spot the four fliers in the theme answers |
