| SECRETSAUCE | Subtle element in a success story ... and what's revealed by each set of circles |
| SUSPIRATION | What's revealed by chest of American freebooter cut down in Jerusalem |
| SHAHRIGHTTHROUGH | What's revealed by taking an X-ray of a Persian ruler? |
| BOYMEETSGIRL | Like some conventional romances, as illustrated by each set of circled letters |
| SPLITLEVELHOUSE | Common midcentury modern suburban home, or what is depicted by each set of circled letters |
| HUMBLEBEGINNINGS | Part of a rags-to-riches story, and what the answers to the starred clues literally have |
| AMPHITHEATER | Politician in a success, that man at the Queen's old building (12) |
| AGITATO | French film-maker turned in a success, with restless music |
| BREAKINGNEWS | Developing story, and what this puzzle's circles illustrate |
| HEARDTHROUGH | With 61-Down, like some gossip ... as represented phonetically by each set of shaded squares? |
| BESTSELLER | Small square room for prisoners said to be consumed by drink? And that's supposed to be a success story! (10) |
| ESTEE | "___: A Success Story" (autobiography of a makeup mogul) |
| ACCESSORY | Starts to stir up serious trouble out of a success story? That's helpful! (9) |
| WISHBONE | A fowl's forked furcula or "merrythought", named for a custom of two people pulling it apart in blithesome divination as a good luck charm; a divided spar; or, a V-shaped element in a suspension syste |
| ACHIEVER | A Greek character's always a success story (8) |
| INFO | What's revealed in briefs - and in revolutionary flameproof nightie? |
| WORD | What's revealed in a game of hangman |
| HYPOSULPHERIC | Relating to a yellow element in a lower state of oxidation than the element's compounds (13) |
| FLESH | What's revealed in cabaret in Raffles Hotel? |
| DETAIL | From "to cut", an individual fact or item; an unimportant part; an element in a painting, considered in isolation; or, a squad assigned with a special duty or mission (6) |
