| 100% | AHEAD | 5 | "He is ___ of us in this race." (leading) |
| 57% | IMAGE | 5 | "There is this ___ I have of him in my mind..." (mental picture) |
| 56% | MASS | 4 | Boston is the Capital of this US State in the northeastern U.S. |
| 56% | FTLB | 4 | This force, used in the US, is the equivalent of about 13.5 million ergs (abbr.) |
| 55% | LUGE | 4 | In this race, the runners are always behind |
| 54% | NUT | 3 | Reggie Jackson was one of these in 1966 when he played Class A ball with Modesto |
| 54% | BRIDES | 6 | There are more of these in the U.S. in October than any other month, surprisingly |
| 54% | WWI | 3 | The $4.4 billion Britain owed the US in 1934, finally paid off in 2015, was incurred because of this (abbr.) |
| 53% | OSC | 3 | Henry Kerner was confirmed by the US Senate in 2017 to be the executive of this agency (abbr.) |
| 51% | ANDRETTI | 8 | Mario ___, all-time great racing driver who was named the U.S. Driver of the Year in 3 separate decades |
| 51% | DAGAMA | 6 | He was named viceroy of Portuguese India in 1524 |
| 51% | SCOPES | 6 | He was found guilty of teaching evolution in 1925 |
| 51% | ALI | 3 | He was bested in the "Fight of the Century" |
| 51% | MIDAS | 5 | He was given the ears of a donkey, in myth |
| 50% | ACC | 3 | U. of Md. is in it |
| 50% | JOHNSON | 7 | He was US president for the first 20 days of 1969 |
| 50% | JOYDIVISION | 11 | “Love Will Tear Us Apart” band . . . and a hint to each set of circled letters in this puzzle |
| 50% | ETERNIA | 7 | He-Man is protector of this realm |
| 49% | ASTERIX | 7 | He is the theme of park north of Paris opened in 1989 |
| 49% | CHICAGO | 7 | McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade is celebrated in this city of U.S. |
| 49% | NONE | 4 | Number of US presidents that have been born in Maine |
| 49% | IRATE | 5 | What nine key words in this puzzle are synonyms of |
| 49% | CAPTAIN | 7 | This person is in command of the ship |
| 49% | GARDEN | 6 | This type of club is interested in plants |
| 49% | EYEBROWS | 8 | These are raised in an expression of surprise |
| 48% | FOURTH | 6 | US independence is celebrated on this day in July |
| 48% | EMMENTAL | 8 | US version of this holed cheese is called Swiss |
| 48% | THUNDER | 7 | In Norse mythology, Thor is the god of this |
| 48% | MILO | 4 | Mr. Ventimiglia, star of This Is Us |
| 48% | BEHOLDER | 8 | Beauty is in the eye of this |