| BYHOOKORBYCROOK | Whatever it takes ... as hinted at in the arrangements of black squares around the circled letters |
| QRCODE | Arrangement of black squares in a larger square allowing information to be enciphered (1,1,4) |
| CHECKUPS | Investigations into small squares around the rise? (5-3) |
| RIGS | The arrangements of sails, masts, cordage etc of boats (4) |
| AGES | So long it takes, as one gets on in years (4) |
| TREE | Something hinted at in the puzzle's title: each of the starred entries begins with one |
| PACMAN | Game where the characters hinted at in the four clues appear |
| GARAGES | Motors' places hinted at in the 'ears' gag (7) |
| VOTEVOTEVOTEV | Do one's thing as a responsible citizen (continues at 39 Down, backwards to 105, and up to 33 to form a square around the "X") |
| SOMETHINGSFISHY | "Hmmmmm ..." [as hinted at by the three groups of black squares in the middle of the grid] |
| PISAITALY | Home to this puzzle's featured structure, as hinted at by the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| INNERCITIES | Urban areas (as hinted at by the circled letters in this puzzle's grid) |
| SHOES | Clothing items sold in boxes, as hinted at by the shaded letters |
| ALOHASTATE | With "The," one of 50 since 8/21/1959, as hinted at by the answers to starred clues |
| LOSEWEIGHT | Common New Year's resolution -- as hinted at by the answers to the four starred clues |
| FEATHERONESNEST | Gather wealth by exploitation ... as hinted at by this puzzle's circled squares? |
| WAITING | On hold ... or what the seven rows of black squares in this puzzle's grid spell in Morse code |
| UTURN | Often-forbidden maneuver ... as hinted at four times in this puzzle |
| LBARS | Angle irons graphically represented by four sets of black squares in this grid, and by letter formations starting in the four longest answers |
| REDACTED | Used a black marker on ... or a hint to three chunks of black squares in this puzzle |
