| ACUTABOVE | Superior to, and a hint to the first letters in 3-, 28- and 9- |
| NEWBEGINNINGS | What January 1 brings for many people, and a hint to the first letters of 20-, 28- and 47-Across |
| ACROSTIC | Verse where eg the first letters in each line form a word or message (8) |
| SOUPSUP | Adds horsepower to, and a hint to the starred answers' hidden words |
| INITIALS | The first letters in a list one compiles (8) |
| CAPITALS | Large alphabetical characters used as the first letters in writing (8) |
| SUPERBOWL | Event that could feature any of the athletes found in five squares in this puzzle ... and a Feb. 9, 2025, event featuring the athletes spelled out in the first letters of five Across entries and then |
| DROPALINE | Say hi to in writing...or what to do to the first letter of each starred clue? |
| GOINGFORWARD | From this point on ... and a phrase that explains (and is spelled out by) the 12 shifted first letters in this puzzle |
| HARDC | ___ '_' (The first letter of 'Calgary', compared to the first letter of 'Centreville') |
| MAXIMA | The greatest numbers will provide a guiding principle to the first letter (6) |
| PALPABLE | For the record, first letters in the Pale unmistakably can be touched or felt (8) |
| THEOTHERAMERICA | Read the first letter in each clue to get a quote from this '67 speech |
| SLICEDBREAD | Food that the "best thing" is compared to, and a description of this puzzle's second parted word |
| RADIO | What does the first letter in the word radar stand for (5) |
| THREEMILEISLAND | Place in the news, 3/28/79 |
| BEFRIEND | Get on a first-name basis with, and what's spelled by the first letters of eight first names in this puzzle |
| ULURU | University student and no-good teacher make 3 28 monument (5) |
| WRAPPINGGIFTS | Holiday season task, and a theme hint (Note what the first letters of the starred clues' answers spell) |
| HERESMYCUE | *"I'm headed onstage," or an introduction to the first letter? |
