| COMINGINHOT | Arriving with great speed, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues are doing? |
| TRADINGPLACES | Classic 1983 comedy ... or a hint to what the answers to four pairs of starred clues are doing |
| HOLDINGHANDS | Showing affection publicly, or what the answers to the starred clues are doing |
| NUTSANDBOLTS | Essentials, or what the first words of the answers to the starred clues are |
| CROSSREFERENCES | Things to "see" in a dictionary, and what both parts of the answers to the starred clues are? |
| TEAMPLAYERS | Ones unconcerned with individual achievements ... or what both words in the answers to the starred clues are examples of |
| COLDSPELL | Stretch of chilly weather, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues amount to, phonetically? |
| PINHEADS | Ninnies, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues literally are |
| PALINDROMES | What the ends of the answers to all the starred clues are |
| PETPROJECTS | Labors of love, perhaps, and what the answers to the starred clues are? |
| SEALEDWITHAKISS | Love letter message often accompanied by a lipstick mark, and what the answers to the starred clues are, thanks to their circled letters |
| BORNLOSERS | Ones fated to fail, or what the answers to the starred clues are, initially? |
| FOODCHAIN | Hierarchical system ... or what is formed when the answers to the starred clues are placed end to end |
| CLOSINGTIME | Store posting, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues could literally be doing |
| FRESHSTART | New beginning, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues can literally have |
| SPELLBOOK | Wizard's reference, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues do |
| STATECAPITALS | What the answers to the starred clues are each anagrams of |
| SEVENLETTERS | * The answers to the starred clues are all drawn from a certain set of them |
| GRANDFINALE | Big finish, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues can be |
| FALSESTARTS | Swimming infractions, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues can all have |
