| SATURDAYNIGHT | Time period that can precede the first parts of 20-, 37- and 44-Across |
| TEAMBUILDING | Corporate bonding process, and a hint to the starts of 20-, 37- and 44-Across |
| MMI | New millennium year, or a part of 20-, 37- and 49-Across |
| EON | Time period that can last millions of years |
| AGE | Time period that can follow "Ice" "Stone" or "Bronze" |
| LINEDANCING | Honky-tonk activity, and a description of the first parts of 20-, 34- and 41- Across |
| TRIPLEPLAY | Baseball rarity, and a hint to the vowels in the first words of 16-, 22-, 29-, 37- and 44- Across |
| EMPTY | Word that can precede the last parts of 20- and |
| PROANDCON | Debating sides, and words that can precede the first parts of 20- and 39-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| GARDEN | Word that can precede the first parts of 20 and 59-Across and 11 and 35-down |
| EURO | Word that can precede the first parts of this puzzle's theme answers |
| HOT | Popular: it may precede the first part of each of the starred entries |
| DAY | One of the seven time periods that make up a week (3) |
| TOWEL | Word that can follow the first parts of 20- and 51-Across and 11- and 29-Down |
| CABINET | Word that can follow the first parts of 20- and 58-Across and 11- and 29-Down |
| ONMY | With 64-Across, words that can follow the starts of 20-, 37-, and 48-Across |
| SEAL | See 62-Across ... and an acronym of the starts of 20-, 37- and 48-Across |
| FEB | Time period that isn't always the same: Abbr. |
| ATOMICAGE | Time period that the Manhattan Project kicked off |
| ICEAGE | Time period that shaped the Great Lakes |
