| 100% | PUTAPININIT | 11 | "Hold that thought," and what we've done to this puzzle's theme answers |
| 51% | CRUNCHTIME | 10 | Do-or-die moment, or what you must do to this puzzle's theme answers |
| 51% | TURNEDTHETABLES | 15 | Shifted an advantage, and what we've done in this puzzle's circles |
| 50% | CATCHAFISH | 10 | Have success angling, and what this puzzle's theme answers do |
| 48% | GOESTOTHEDOGS | 13 | Rapidly deteriorates ... and what each of this puzzle's theme answers does? |
| 46% | CLIMBSTHELADDER | 15 | Advances through corporate ranks … and what the answer to each starred clue in this puzzle does |
| 46% | BREAKALEG | 9 | Encouragement to an actor, and what this puzzle's starred answers do |
| 45% | CROSS | 5 | What this puzzle's across and down answers do |
| 45% | PUNNEDIT | 8 | What the puzzlemaker did to the name in each of this puzzle's theme answers? |
| 45% | TAKEASTEEPN | 11 | Plummet ... or what this puzzle's theme answers do? |
| 43% | CREW | 4 | With 65-Across, private dos, and a hint to this puzzle's five theme answers |
| 43% | CRONE | 5 | Witch, and the combination of letters added to this puzzle's theme answers |
| 43% | FAMILYTIES | 10 | Kinship, and what holds this puzzle's theme together |
| 43% | THINKQUICKLY | 12 | To understand this puzzle's theme, read the ends of the answers to the starred clues and ... |
| 43% | BROKENPROMISE | 13 | Certain moral lapse, and a hint to what's hidden in this puzzle's theme answers |
| 42% | ELMORE | 6 | "Rum Punch" writer Leonard, and a hint to this puzzle's theme answers |
| 41% | ALLEYESONME | 11 | "Pay close attention to what I'm doing," and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 41% | CUTSCORNERS | 11 | What this puzzle's theme does? |
| 41% | UNFRIENDS | 9 | Cuts social media ties with, and what one does to complete the theme answers |
| 41% | CHANGETHESUBJECT | 16 | Switch topics, and a hint to solving this puzzle's theme answers |
| 39% | ADVANCETEAMS | 12 | Groups that do prep work ahead of an event, and a directive followed by this puzzle's theme answers? |
| 39% | CROSSTHETS | 10 | Pay attention to detail ... and, homophonically, what three pairs of puzzle answers do |
| 38% | RAISEDTHEBAR | 12 | Elevated expectations ... or what this puzzle's maker did to five answers in this puzzle? |
| 38% | PINACOLADA | 10 | What I'm going to have after I've finished writing these clues and it's spelled out with the first two letters of five of the longest puzzle answers |
| 38% | MAKINGAPACT | 11 | Formally agreeing to terms, and what this puzzle's sets of circled letters are gradually doing |
| 38% | SALT | 4 | Theme of this puzzle, found in the answers to 21-, 26-, 44- and 52-Across |
| 38% | OXYMORONS | 9 | What the answers to this puzzle's starred clues all are |
| 38% | UPLIFTS | 7 | Elates, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 38% | ADDED | 5 | Extra, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 37% | LATERALSYMMETRY | 15 | Feature of this puzzle's grid and the answers to the six starred clues |