| BACKSTREETS | Springsteen song, and what's contained in the circles |
| INCENSE | What's contained in the thurible could make one's blood boil (7) |
| INNERCHILD | Psychology subject ... and what's contained in this puzzle's circles |
| AUPAIR | Live-in help, and what's contained in 17-, 23-, 38- and 49-Across |
| BLUE | 1996 LeAnn Rimes song, and what can precede the starred answers in song titles |
| FIRSTCUT | The ___ Is the Deepest, Cat Stevens song and what answers to asterisked clues have (8) |
| ICECREAM | *Foundation ingredient of a treat built upward in the answers to starred clues and spelled downward in the circles |
| TINATURNER | "The Best" singer, and what this puzzle is, in the circles |
| FOOLAROUND | Engage in some horseplay ... or a hint to the words spelled out in the circles |
| BOO | GHOST'S SCARE SOUND THAT IS FOUND NINE ADDITIONAL TIMES - WORD SEARCH STYLE: UP, DOWN AND DIAGONALLY - IN THE CIRCLES IN THIS PUZZLE |
| REVOLVINGDOOR | Entrance of a sort, and a hint to the progression in the circles |
| BROKENCODES | Cryptographers' successes (and what can be found in the circles in this puzzle's long answers) |
| MAKEMINEADOUBLE | Bar request ... or hint to the letters in the circles |
| TOYS | The four gifts in the circles, e.g. |
| BURSTINGATTHESEAMS | Overflowing, or what the words in the circles are? |
| GHOSTBUSTERS | Movie (with a 2021 sequel) that features the characters in the circles |
| OSCAR | Award for the movies in the circles |
| MAYDAY | Timely cry appropriate to the sinking depicted in the circles |
| DOOMSCROLLING | Habit of incessantly reading bad news online, and what's happening in the circles |
| BREAKALEG | Well wishes before a performance, and what you do by filling in the circles |
