| AREYOUOKAY | Question when checking on a friend ... or a hint to two pairs of letters in 17-, 30- or 43-Across |
| TWINSIES | "OMG, we have the same outfit!" ... and a phonetic hint to two pairs of letters in this puzzle |
| GROUPCHAT | Conversation among friends ... or a hint to the animal collectives in the starred answers and the conversations that follow them |
| MIXTAPE | This-and-that recording for a friend or a party |
| FOE | Is he a friend or a ___? |
| DAILYDOUBLE | "Jeopardy!" feature ... and what 17-, 30-, or 37-Across is? |
| EYESONME | "Look here!" ... or a phonetic hint to 10 pairs of letters in this puzzle's grid |
| SPAR | A boxing match, cockfight, mock battle or quarrel; a friend or pal; a mast or other nautical pole; or, a rafter (4) |
| PSANDQS | Good behavior ... or a hint to two lines of letters in this puzzle |
| THATHURTS | Pained expression, and a hint to two cries hidden in each answer to a starred clue |
| STINGY | Penny-pinching ... or a three-part hint to two outer and two inner letters of each starred clue's answer |
| BREAKINGGROUND | Starting a project ... and what the letters between the starting and ending pairs of letters in each |
| IMBACKINTHEGAME | Remark after overcoming a setback, and a hint to two letters of each starred answer |
| ITSUP | "The kick's in the air ..." (and a hint to two starred answers in this puzzle) |
| IMWITHHER | Folk trio whose name predates 2016, or a hint to two words contained in each starred clue's answer |
| MIXEDDOUBLES | Type of tennis match, and what's spelled out by the pairs of letters added to 12 phrases in this puzzle |
| OVERTHETOP | Wildly exaggerated, or a hint to two words that can precede each starred answer's start |
| ITSOK | "No worries" (and a hint to two starred answers in this puzzle) |
| ITSME | "I'm here" (and a hint to two starred answers in this puzzle) |
| ITSON | "This means war!" (and a hint to two starred answers in this puzzle) |
