Solution to Starfish

Here are the answer to the clues. The clues are in alphabetical order by answer, so one can use that to help them solve. Once the solver realizes how the answers fit into the starfish, as described below, this can further be used to help solve the remaining clues.

The answers to the clues form five groups of five words that can be placed head to tail in the spaces of the starfish, with each word going from the tip of one leg to another:

R

E

E

S

M

O

S

T

E

L

D

E

C

A

Y

S

E

S

T

P

E

L

A

R

E

Y

A

R

N

S

N

A

A

N

E

D

N

I

S

U

S

N

O

W

S

S

E

R

E

G

R

T

U

C

A

S

W

O

O

P

L

E

A

N

S

H

F

A

R

E

P

O

K

E

D

Reading the letters in the center spaces of each starfish, we get the words, DECAY, YARNS, SNOWS, SWOOP, and POKED. We reiterate the procedure with these five words:

Y

A

S

N

S

W

P

O

D

E

C

R

O

O

K

We get the answer CROOK.