| CORNERSTORE | Local retailer, and an apt description of eight entries in this puzzle |
| ITSJUSTAPHASE | "They'll grow out of that" ... or a description of eight squares in this puzzle |
| OKBYME | "I'm good with it," or a description of eight occurrences in this puzzle |
| CARS | 2006 Disney film, and the ends of the eight longest entries in this puzzle |
| ALLBROKENUP | Emotionally crushed, and an apt description of the circled elements in this puzzle? |
| CLOSINGSALE | Going-out-of-business bargain event, and an apt description of this puzzle's circles |
| SURROUNDSOUND | Audiophile's setup, and an apt description of the perimeter of this puzzle |
| BREAKTHESOUNDBARRIER | Hit Mach I ... or a hint to answering eight pairs of consecutive entries in this puzzle |
| CARINTERIORS | Passenger compartments, and an apt description of this puzzle's circles |
| SPLITTICKET | Politically diverse ballot ... and an apt description of each set of puzzle circles |
| CVS | Brief resumes, and an apt description of this puzzle's four longest answers |
| VIBECHECK | "How's everybody feeling?," e.g., and an apt description of this puzzle's circled letters |
| FBIAGENTS | Govt. employees encoded by the nine other longest across entries in this puzzle ... and who might be called in to decode them |
| NAME | Any of the theme entries in this puzzle |
| CROSS | Word that can precede the first word of the twelve starred entries in this puzzle |
| SOLVEFORX | Algebra directive ... and a hint to decoding five entries in this puzzle |
| WHATABOUTISM | Rhetorical strategy of countering an accusation with another accusation, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues |
| MONSTERMASH | Novelty song (and #1 hit) with the lyric "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?" ... and an apt description of the puzzle's theme |
| CANDYCOATED | Like M&M's, and an apt description of 17-, 27- and 48- Across |
| SHOWSUP | Arrives, and an apt description of the sets of circled letters |
