| 100% | STAY | 4 | "___ tuned! Solve the last words in the next 9 days and find a fun theme as you go along!" |
| 31% | ITMEANSALOT | 11 | “That’s so nice of you” . . . and a literal description of the last word in 17-, 21-, 39-, or 57-Across |
| 29% | AFTERSHOCK | 10 | Tremor following a quake, and where the last words of the starred answers can be found |
| 29% | HERO | 4 | *Person who saves the day... and a word you may use to describe those being celebrated in this puzzle |
| 28% | OTANNENBAUM | 11 | Seasonal song with a hint to the last words in 17-, 25-, 37- and 45-Across |
| 27% | BELOWTHEBELT | 12 | Grossly unfair, or where you find the last words of 20-, 29-, 38- and 47-Across |
| 27% | BOOK | 4 | What you find in a library, or a word which can be used at the start of 20a, 25a, 35a, 48a, 55a, 31d, and 45d |
| 27% | SODAMIXER | 9 | Ingredient in some cocktails ... or a hint to the last words in 17-, 23-, 32-, 43- and 48-Across |
| 27% | NOTMYFIRSTRODEO | 15 | "Done this before, you know!" ... or a hint to the last words of 17-, 23-, 31-, 40- and 48-Across |
| 26% | MASTERPIECES | 12 | "Mona Lisa" and "Guernica" ... and, in a different way, the last words of 20-, 34- and 42-Across |
| 26% | ISLE | 4 | Last word in the "Gilligan" theme song |
| 26% | SYNONYM | 7 | Word that shares a similar meaning to another one, as you would find in a thesaurus |
| 26% | OUT | 3 | "One day you're in, and the next day you're ___" ("Project Runway" catchphrase) |
| 26% | UNDERASPELL | 11 | Hypnotized ... and where a synonymous nine-letter word can be found in the grid |
| 26% | TWO | 3 | Pair count or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 45d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 26% | FOUR | 4 | Beatles count or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 35d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 26% | THREE | 5 | Trio number or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 37d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 26% | ADIEU | 5 | Word repeated before "to you and you and you," in a show tune |
| 26% | RAJA | 4 | Indian royal and a word you'll find hidden in "Maharajah" |
| 26% | VAMP | 4 | Femme fatale and a word you'll find hidden in "vampire" |
| 26% | HIDDENCHARGES | 13 | Extra expenses in the fine print, and a hint to what you'll find in the circled letters |
| 26% | SEVEN | 5 | Oft lucky number or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 18d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 26% | NINE | 4 | Cat lives count or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 3d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 26% | WIT | 3 | Wisdom's partner, and a word you'll find hidden in "witch" |
| 26% | ADLIB | 5 | Make up the lines as you go along |
| 26% | FIVE | 4 | Half of a decade or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 34d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 25% | SPEE | 4 | Last word in the name of a WW I German warship |
| 25% | TSHIRT | 6 | Where you might see the message formed by the last words in 21-, 32-, 42- and 54-Across |
| 25% | EIGHT | 5 | Number that sounds like "ate" or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 7d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 25% | ELL | 3 | Shape of a right angle and a word you'll find hidden in "Ellen" |