| "24K ...," Bruno Mars song from the eponymous 2016 studio album that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 | 107 |
| "The Matrix" hero who said, "I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life" | 86 |
| "One More ...," Maroon 5 song from their 2012 album "Overexposed" that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 9 weeks | 111 |
| "7 ...," Ariana Grande song from her 2019 album "Thank U, Next" that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks | 109 |
| "Six ... Under," Billie Eilish's debut single that received a gold certification from Recording Industry Association of America | 127 |
| "21 ...," Green Day song from their 2009 album "21st Century Breakdown" that reached No. 22 on Billboard Hot 100 chart | 118 |
| jean-baptiste-camille ..., french artist whose works include 1871's the marsh at arleux | 87 |
| one of a species of legendary creatures said to live in the depths of the earth and guard buried treasure | 105 |
| james ..., scottish golfer, five-times winner of the open championship, who died in 1950 | 88 |
| be opportunistic – ted talk's introduction's enthralling as long as the man's hiding brightness [4,3,5,3,3,6] | 111 |
| astounding – this writer's not actively resisting having made a case for resistance! | 86 |
| excited spanish gathering in madrid for the soccer match principally expect this from decent competitors | 104 |
| eagerness of group of drivers touring latvia's capital city, riga, initially to go inside | 89 |
| Brewers pitcher who the won National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2020: 2 wds. | 84 |
| Reds infielder who won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2021: 2 wds. | 83 |
| Diamondbacks outfielder who won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2023: 2 wds. | 92 |
| "The Shape of Water" actor who plays Zipco in the 2024 Jeff Nichols film "The Bikeriders" [2 wds] | 97 |
| While Camp Nou is being renovated, .... are based at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys | 84 |
| The first operatic collaboration between Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal | 82 |
| Almost homophonic real name for Michael Keaton's character in a 1988 comedy horror film | 87 |
| James Clark .... led an 1839-43 expedition which confirmed Antarctica's existence and charted much of its coastline | 115 |
| Town with a nearby abbey in Italy's Lazio region, almost destroyed in the Second World War | 90 |
| Runner-up to Sadiq Khan in the selection of Labour's 2016 London mayoral election candidate | 91 |
| a form of writing practiced by the ancient irish, and found in inscriptions on stones | 85 |
| maker of over 50 documentaries for the bbc including encounters with jimmy savile and joe exotic. | 97 |
| Gertrude .. [b.1905 d.2003 ...American Olympian who made headlines in 1926 by swimming across the English Channel, the first woman to do so] | 140 |
| Canadian singer with a new 2024 country version of The Weeknd's song "Blinding Lights" | 86 |
| Sheila .., Governor General's Literary Award winning author of 2022 novel Pure Colour | 85 |
| The movies "Fire" [1996], "Earth" [1998] and "Water" [2005] by Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta as they are known collectively, '.. Trilogy' | 138 |
| "Can you ... little slower please?" [request to your taxi driver, perhaps]: 2 wds. | 82 |
| National Baseball Hall of ..., historical museum where Babe Ruth was inducted into in 1936 | 90 |
| 1998 animated film based on a chinese legend whose title character is voiced by ming-na wen | 91 |
| author of the 1768 massachusetts circular letter that resulted in the occupation of boston by the british army | 110 |
| genus of tropical american plants of the nightshade family whose fruits contain many seeds | 90 |
| hardy ..., dressmaker by appointment to queen elizabeth ii who founded his own fashion house in 1946 | 100 |
| jane austen title character portrayed onscreen by gwyneth paltrow and anya taylor-joy | 85 |
| sesame street resident who sometimes dances himself to sleep with the boogie woogie sheep, to bert's dismay | 107 |
| "i would venture to guess that ......, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman": virginia woolf | 119 |
| If I'd seismic shifts with case of languor, troubling experience for fifty-year-old? | 84 |
| we had briefly lived in the london area with first of several people from stockholm | 83 |
| Big East team known as the Huskies who won the 2023 and 2024 NCAA men's basketball championship | 95 |
| 13-Across point guard who was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 NCAA Final Four men's basketball championship [2 wds] | 125 |
| Actress Eddy who won a posthumous Emmy for playing Epiphany Johnson on "General Hospital" | 89 |
| Humphrey ---, trumpeter and former host of the radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue | 84 |
| "Dancing with the ...," reality dance competition series that moved from ABC to Disney+ in 2022 | 95 |
| "Hallmark Hall of ...," anthology TV series that moved from NBC to three other networks and now runs on Hallmark Channel | 120 |
| Animated sci-fi sitcom following Philip J. Fry that moved from Fox to Comedy Central, and now streams on Hulu | 109 |
| mario ..., us opera singer-actor who played the title role in 1951 biopic the great caruso | 90 |
| al ..., canadian actor who played lt bert samuels in us television series cagney & lacey | 88 |
| dennis ..., french horn player with the philharmonia orchestra who died in a car crash in 1957 | 94 |
| christopher ..., poet and dramatist who authored stage plays the jew of malta and edward ii | 91 |
| film with the tagline "in the future video game battles will be a matter of life or death" | 90 |
| ...... & confused [former ben & jerry's ice cream flavor with a nutella-style filling] | 86 |
| me, the constructor: "i am not someone who puts 'childish retort' answers like did not or is too in his crosswords." you, the solver: "......!" | 143 |
| pierre, lexicographer who founded a french publishing house noted for its dictionaries | 86 |
| cold ........, 2004 american civil war film for which renee zellweger won an oscar | 82 |
| Little House on the Prairie actress who was adopted one day after she was born: 2 wds. | 86 |
| Novella by romance writer/neuroscience professor Ali Hazelwood about two scientists trapped on an elevator [3 wds] | 114 |
| Ali Hazelwood novel about an affair between a biotech engineer and a wealthy investor [3 wds] | 93 |
| Ali Hazelwood novella about a NASA engineer stranded at an Arctic research station [2 wds] | 90 |
| "...... I Talk About When I Talk About Running" [memoir by novelist Haruki Murakami] | 84 |
| Ali Hazelwood novella about an environmental engineer who is roommates with a big-oil lawyer [3 wds] | 100 |
| film [2000] starring drew barrymore, lucy liu and cameron diaz as private investigators | 87 |
| pyramidal mountain in the alps straddling the border between switzerland and italy | 82 |
| area of post-war construction in glasgow where new streets were named after scots islands | 89 |
| "... 51," 2015 sci-fi horror film with the number of a famous, highly classified Air Force facility in its title | 112 |
| "A Letter to Three ...," 1949 Academy Award-winning romantic drama with a trio's number in its title | 100 |
| stanley ..., actor who appeared in, co-wrote and co-directed 1996 film drama big night | 86 |
| hero of children's books the midnight folk and the box of delights by john masefield | 84 |
| m s ..., england test cricketer who took 5-72 against pakistan at manchester in 2006 | 84 |
| Weightlifter's pursuit … or a hint to both halves of the answers to the starred clues | 87 |
| one supporting established inhabitants' needs in a given area over those of immigrants | 86 |
| roger, late director noted for 1960s films including the original the little shop of horrors | 92 |
| ivan, late financier on whom gordon gekko in 1988 film wall street is partly based | 82 |
| ........ leadsom, conservative politician who has twice stood as a leadership candidate | 87 |
| Take part in an add-a-letter basketball game, as demonstrated by this puzzle's theme answers | 92 |
| Bristol-born writer, comedian and actor whose TV series include The Outlaws , which he co-created with Elgin James | 114 |
| Painting by Lord Frederic Leighton in the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicting a woman leaning against a Doric column | 117 |
| Winner of the 2002 Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for his show Something | 95 |
| Musical form consisting of a theme repeated a fifth above or a fourth below the continuing first statement | 106 |
| John ......, Suffolk-born Romantic painter whose works include Dedham Vale and The Hay Wain | 91 |
| The longest-serving female presenter of Blue Peter , having presented it from 1997 to 2008 | 90 |
| English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor and musician sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle" | 111 |
| 2000 Guy Ritchie crime film featuring Brad Pitt, Benicio del Toro and Vinnie Jones | 82 |
| 1922 autobiographical novel by e e cummings about his temporary imprisonment in France during World War I | 105 |
| Swedish boxer who defeated Floyd Patterson to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 1959 | 92 |
| American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a number one hit with Runaway in 1961 | 86 |
| Former county, duchy and province of France corresponding largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire | 115 |
| Edgar ......, French artist whose paintings include L'Absinthe and La Classe de Danse | 85 |
| Characteristic scenery of a limestone region, including underground streams, gorges, etc | 88 |
| Carla ......, Turin-born singer-songwriter, model and actress who married French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 | 114 |
| Singer and songwriter of The Adverts, best known for their 1977 single Gary Gilmore's Eyes | 90 |
| English dessert that is a crude mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream | 85 |
| A Buddhist, especially a monk who has achieved enlightenment and at death passes to nirvana | 91 |
| An early 16th-century trick-taking card game for two people played with a reduced deck | 86 |
| Actor who was cast in "Rocky III" after winning an "America's Toughest Bouncer" competition | 91 |
| christopher ..., actor who played dr emmett l brown in the back to the future film series | 89 |
| simon ..., actor who played the title role in 1980s channel 4 sitcom chance in a million | 88 |
| a j ..., us motor racing driver who won the 1967 24 hours of le mans with dan gurney | 84 |
| samuel ..., us inventor and painter whose works include 1830's the chapel of the virgin at subiaco | 98 |
| influential 1988 hip-hop album whose artist was seventeen at the time of its release | 84 |
| ...... boomerang [idea that a government using repressive tactics abroad will eventually use those same tactics domestically] | 125 |
| boatman abandons rail service: outside, small change, with no parking for transport | 83 |
| one relays messages by mouth, initially enjoying trust while effecting eventual nemesis | 87 |
| Education activist and Nobel laureate who said, "We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back" | 101 |
| HGTV show where Hilary and David help homeowners choose between renovation or relocation: 5 wds. | 96 |
| HGTV show where the Scott brothers help a famous person do a thank you renovation: 2 wds. | 89 |
| 1992 Bon Jovi album whose three Top 40 hits were the title track, "Bed of Roses," and "In These Arms" [3 wds] | 109 |
| ... wall, rustic and exposed wall design that was a popular home decor in the '70s | 82 |
| fictional wizard training school in which the sorting hat allotted pupils to houses | 83 |
| a geometric configuration of symbols, sometimes used as a tool for spiritual guidance | 85 |
| ray ........ jr, musician noted for writing and singing the ghostbusters' theme song | 84 |
| key ........, providers of essential services exempted from covid restrictions, such as nurses | 94 |
| nikola, inventor played on screen by actors including nicholas hoult and goran visnjic | 86 |
| franchise whose fourth installment was delayed after will smith slapped chris rock during the oscars | 100 |
| Memorable ad-lib in "Midnight Cowboy" … or what the starred clues would say about their answers | 97 |
| misogynistic online harassment campaign used as a recruiting tool for the alt-right | 83 |
| actor whose two acting oscar nominations are for 1976 and 2015 portrayals of the same character | 95 |
| bob ..., actor who starred as ronald craven in 1985 bbc tv drama series edge of darkness | 88 |
| h rider haggard novel subtitled a history of adventure first published in book form in 1887 | 91 |
| raf ..., disused station near lisburn, northern ireland, used as a detention centre from 1971 | 93 |
| group of street urchins who aid sherlock holmes in various stories by arthur conan doyle | 88 |
| nat. that won the 2018 eurovision contest; the winning song was "toy" by the singer netta | 89 |
| "mississippi ......" [1991 romcom starring denzel washington and sarita choudhury] | 82 |
| *"Oh no! Kids are getting ...!" Tip: Carry snacks and water to keep them distracted! | 84 |
| *"Oh no! The t-shirt ... you're looking for is out of stock!" Tip: Try ordering it from the online store! | 105 |
| Pepperoni, mushroom or green pepper … or what each cluster of black squares represents in this puzzle | 103 |
| Set of books once awarded to winners of Britain's "Countdown" game show, for short | 82 |
| "that mustache was ......-appropriate!!" [captain holt, defending his '70s hair choices] | 88 |
| ...... lilly [company whose stock dropped after a twitter impostor "announced" it was making insulin free] | 106 |
| the book of ...... [2023 novel whose protagonist becomes fascinated with a certain writer's "individualist egoism"] | 115 |
| energetic noel surprisingly employing yours truly in the work of persuading voters | 82 |
| development of recent course about where to find information, equipment and support | 83 |
| thomas william ..., english agriculturist associated with the holkham estate in norfolk | 87 |
| "SNL" sketch in which Will Ferrell loudly plays a certain hand percussion instrument | 84 |
| Be Blessed gospel singer who was honored with the 2019 Soul Train Lady of Soul Award: 2 wds. | 92 |
| Angel of Mine R&B singer who was honored with the 2020 Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | 84 |
| Just Kick It Girl group that was honored with the 2022 Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | 84 |
| Dirty Computer pop funk singer who was honored with the 2023 Soul Train Spirit of Soul Award: 2 wds. | 100 |
| Actress with a record 21 Oscar nominations who turned 75 years old on June 22, 2024 [2 wds] | 91 |
| 1978 war film for which 18-Across earned her first Oscar nomination, for Best Supporting Actress [3 wds] | 104 |
| 1985 romantic drama for which 18-Across earned her fourth Best Actress Oscar nomination [3 wds] | 95 |
| "........ who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new" [einstein, apocryphally] | 93 |
| river flowing through russia and kazakhstan in the continental border between europe and asia | 93 |
| judicial body of the holy roman empire organized by maximilian i in the late 15th century | 89 |
| seaside resort on the south coast of devon between the estuaries of the rivers exe and teign | 92 |
| franz ..., german expressionist painter whose works include 1912 oil the shepherds | 82 |
| victoria ..., 2012 and 2013 winner of the australian open singles tennis championship | 85 |
| "see more of your friends than you ...... your kids" [tracy chapman line from "fast car"] | 89 |
| "Yellowstone" actor who co-wrote, directed, and stars in the 2024 film "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1" [2 wds] | 120 |
| "Avatar: The Way of Water" actor who plays a Union Army first lieutenant in "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1" [2 wds] | 125 |
| "American Woman" actress who plays a pioneer woman in "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1" [2 wds] | 103 |
| The .... empire was formed in 1428 as an alliance of the city states Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan | 105 |
| Stop-motion franchise featuring a cheese-loving inventor and an anthropomorphic beagle | 86 |
| Incomplete Francis Bacon utopian novel about an island, published posthumously in 1626 | 86 |
| Australian group who had a 1987 hit with a cover of the Lipps Inc. song Funky Town | 82 |
| "I spurn you as I would spurn a .... dog" [Rowan Atkinson, Father of the Bride speech] | 86 |
| Vacation season ... and a time during which you can build a playlist with the songs at 27a, 35a, 43a, 55a, 25d, and 37d | 119 |
| "School's ...," 1972 hit by Alice Cooper that was featured in a Staples commercial | 82 |
| "... is Shining," 1971 hit by Bob Marley & the Wailers from their album "Soul Revolution Part II" | 97 |
| "... Waves," 2020 song by Glass Animals that was featured in the TV series "Never Have I Ever" | 94 |
| us river rising in the okefenokee swamp on the georgia-florida border which flows to the gulf of mexico | 103 |
| george ..., best actor in a supporting role oscar nominee for who's afraid of virginia woolf? | 93 |
| lee ..., london-born stand-up comedian; regular panellist on bbc tv show they think it's all over from 1995-97 | 110 |
| Essentially agents mustn't fancy actors – they represent them in tricky situations | 84 |
| To cut a long story short, one old lady's taking on quite regular trade importing heroin | 88 |
| first of attacks on someone believing in the existence of a god by someone who doesn't | 86 |
| an individual's area of responsibility for religious education at american university | 85 |
| American realist painter whose Nighthawks hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago: 2 wds. | 87 |
| French post-impressionist whose A Sunday Afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago: 2 wds. | 129 |
| Frenchh impressionist whose Woman Reading hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago: 2 wds. | 87 |
| Emitting sulphur everywhere, like soft mud rising through unchanged volcanic cavity | 83 |
| Italian football manager who has won the Champions League a record five times as a coach, plus two more as a player | 115 |
| English actor who had success as a singer with his Soldier Soldier co-star Robson Green | 87 |
| Technology entrepreneur and engineer who is lead designer of SpaceX and product architect of Tesla, Inc | 103 |
| Character in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick who is hunting for the whale to get revenge | 84 |
| A small celestial body orbiting the sun that hasn't entered the earth's atmosphere | 82 |
| Figure in the legend of King Arthur depicted as being responsible for his downfall | 82 |
| South Korean film that won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Bong Joon-ho | 97 |
| BBC sitcom about two Glaswegian pensioners created by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill | 84 |
| Celtic language recognised by the UK government under Part II of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2002 | 128 |
| Boy band comprising Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and, until 2015, Zayn Malik | 102 |
| Drugs, such as propranolol, that inhibits the activity of the nerves that are stimulated by adrenaline | 102 |
| English actor, comedian and presenter whose TV series include Not Going Out and Would I Lie to You? | 99 |
| Purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex whose children's TV show debuted in the US in 1992 | 91 |
| Popular lawn game played with and named for hoof-protecting gear, that one can enjoy with friends and family at a picnic | 120 |
| Red Light ... Light, fun game that one can enjoy with friends and family at a picnic | 84 |
| ... spitting contest, fun game that one can enjoy with friends and family at a picnic | 85 |
| Lawn game where players take turns throwing fabric bean bags and one can enjoy with friends and family at a picnic | 114 |
| jessica ..., actress who played jane rochford in 2015 bbc tv drama series wolf hall | 83 |
| robert ..., actor who played freddy krueger in the a nightmare on elm street series from 1984-94 | 96 |
| what you hear in this conversation: "good evening." "good evening. oh look, there's a mouse. i'll be right back." | 113 |
| what you hear in this conversation: "what a nice night we're having in this dark forest!" "yes indeed! ooh, look at that full moon!" | 132 |
| what you hear in this conversation: "how's life here at the pond?" "oh, you know, eating bugs, hopping around, the usual." | 122 |
| what you hear in this conversation: "nice weather we're having today." "ewe said it. get it? i said 'ewe'!" "ugh, that pun was awful." "you mean ... it was baaad?" | 163 |
| what you hear in this conversation: "so, got any plans for the winter?" "yeah, flying south. i'm pretty sure that's also your plan." | 132 |
| what you hear in this conversation: "i'm the king of the jungle!" "no, i'm the king of the jungle!" | 99 |
| antonin, composer noted for works including his cello concerto that premiered in 1896 | 85 |
| 1989 film based on the profumo affair of 1963, starring ian mckellen, john hurt and joanne whalley | 98 |
| through the ........, song by spandau ballet that reached no. 6 in the uk charts in 1986 | 88 |