| ITSASECRET | "Shh! Don't tell!" and hint to what can precede the starts of 18-, 23-, 37- and 52-Across |
| ITSADATE | "I'm there!" ... and hint to the first part of the answers to starred clues |
| AANDW | Root beer brand, and a phonetic hint to the three vowels of 18-, 23-, 37-, 55- and 60-Across |
| BLUEONBLUE | 1963 Bobby Vinton hit ... or a hint to both halves of 18-, 23-, 37- and 54-Across |
| PUTALIDONIT | "Hush!" (and hint to how 4-, 9- and 21-Down are formed) |
| INSIDEDOPE | Skinny, so to speak, or what's hidden in 18-, 23-, 37- and 52-Across |
| BADCOMPANY | "Can't Get Enough" band, or a business that practices 18-, 23-, 37- and 52-Across? |
| GOVERNMENTBONDS | Treasury notes ... or what the two sides of 17-, 23-, 37- and 52-Across are joined with? |
| SAYA | "Shh! Don't _ thing!" |
| BOOKENDS | Simon & Garfunkel album, and a hint to what can precede and follow the halves of the starred answers |
| FIRESIDES | Warm, cozy places ... and a hint to what can precede both parts of the answers to starred clues |
| DOUBLETAKE | Surprised reaction ... or a hint to what can precede both halves of the answers to the starred clues |
| WHITEWATER | Canoeing challenge whose first word can precede the start and whose second word can precede the end of the answers to starred clues |
| POWERPLAY | Takeover endeavor ... and a hint to what can precede each word in the answers to starred clues |
| THEXFACTOR | Hard-to-define element, or a hint to what can precede each last word in answers to starred clues |
| LOVEISALLAROUND | 1968 hit for the Troggs, and a hint to what can precede this puzzle's perimeter words |
| SUPERCOUPLE | Jay-Z and Beyonce, for one ... or a hint to what can precede both words of each starred clue's answer |
| SIDEBYSIDE | Like some refrigerator-freezers, and a hint to what can precede the start and follow the end of 17-, 23-, 37- or 48-Across |
| BLACK | Word that can precede the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| WHITE | Word that can precede the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
