| WATERCRAFT | Theme of this puzzle (and a theme answer as well) |
| NEITHERRHYMENORREASON | What a theme answer from this puzzle would have if it included the word "month"? |
| AMISTAD | Spielberg film of '97 [NOT a theme answer] |
| COCKATOO | Chicken getting answer as well as parrot (8) |
| GREATWALL | Landmark that, in a way, is a border feature of this puzzle and a hint to what's missing from 10 answers |
| SHARKINFESTEDWATERS | Dangerous area for those in the top row of this puzzle, and a hint to the words under the six black tins in the grid |
| SUPERBOWL | Event that could feature any of the athletes found in five squares in this puzzle ... and a Feb. 9, 2025, event featuring the athletes spelled out in the first letters of five Across entries and then |
| THEUNIT | CBS drama co-starring Scott Foley (who co-created this puzzle), and a hint to puzzle theme that begi |
| FRIDAY | When you're likely solving this puzzle, and a phonetic hint to the starred answers' starts |
| TENOR | Theme of this puzzle (and what the circled squares depict) |
| TRIGO | Subject of this puzzle [and proceeding counterclockwise] |
| SOUTHERNOCEAN | Body of water officially recognized by the National Geographic Society earlier this month; its four cousins are found north of it in this puzzle (and on a globe) |
| ADDAMS | Surname of a family whose members can be found in nine rows in this puzzle ... and whose names contain circled letters that, reading down, spell a word describing them |
| MAMA | Honoree of the puzzle (and the starts of the theme answer words) |
| LEAP | Event celebrated in this puzzle, and an example of how the theme works |
| DOLLAR | Kind of sign seen in this puzzle, and word that can follow the start of answers to starred clues |
| THEENDOFTHEYEAR | Right about now (and a hint to the closing word of each theme answer) |
| DOCUMENTARIES | 13-letter word that each theme answer in this puzzle is an anagram of |
| DIRECTORSCUT | Edited version of a film, and a theme hint |
| WORD | Type of ladder in this puzzle, and the third step in it |
