| Answer | Crossword Clue |
|---|---|
| CHECKMATE | Likely last word to a patzer |
| EVER | Next-to-last word in a fairy tale |
| PENULT | Next to the last syllable of a word. |
| EVER | Second-to-last word in a fairy tale |
| TABLE | Postpone, as a motion (and word that can follow the last word of answers to starred clues) |
| THEXFACTOR | Hard-to-define element, or a hint to what can precede each last word in answers to starred clues |
| AHEAD | In the future, or, when spoken with a long starting vowel, what the last word of the answers to starred clues can have |
