| 100% | KEEPITBETWEENUS | 15 | "Let this be our little secret" … or a hint to letter sequences hidden in 16-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 54% | BETWEENYOUANDME | 15 | "Let this be our little secret" ... with a hint to 18-, 23-, 50- or 54-Across |
| 43% | THEBIGAPPLE | 11 | Empire State Building locale ... or a hint to three letters in 16-, 19-, 52- and 57-Across |
| 42% | BUTTERCHURN | 11 | Dairy implement, and a hint to what's hidden in 16-, 23-, 32-, and 44-Across |
| 39% | COVERTOPERATION | 15 | Secret military mission ... or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle? |
| 38% | LANGUAGEBARRIER | 15 | Foreigner's obstacle ... or a hint to hidden words in 17-, 29-, 37- and 49-Across |
| 38% | STRETCHTHETRUTH | 15 | Exaggerate ... or a hint to five nonconsecutive letters in 20-Across, 36-Across and 7-Down |
| 38% | ZIP | 3 | Nothing ... or a hint to what's hidden in 20-, 35- and 52-Across |
| 38% | EASYONTHEEYES | 13 | Pleasing to look at ... or a phonetic hint to a two-letter sequence in 16-, 20-, 51- and 56-Across |
| 38% | HIDDENFIGURES | 13 | 2016 Best Picture nominee ... or a hint to the circled letters in 20-, 25- and 43-Across |
| 38% | AUPAIRS | 7 | Live-in workers ... or a hint to 14, 18, 32, and 51 Across |
| 38% | FIRST | 5 | With 5-Across, baby's milestone ... or a hint to the hidden layer in this puzzle's Across clues |
| 37% | ITSGROWINGONME | 14 | "I'm starting to like this" ... or a hint to the starts of 16-, 24-, 47- and 58-Across, in order |
| 37% | YOUDONTSAY | 10 | "Is that so?," or a hint to the communication methods found in this puzzle's circled letters |
| 37% | BEEF | 4 | Complaint, or a hint to the grades that start 20-, 32-, 40- and 53-Across |
| 37% | SWITCHBLADE | 11 | Street weapon ... or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 37% | DOLLARSANDCENTS | 15 | Money ... or a hint to how six crossings in this puzzle are to be represented, superimposing one letter over another |
| 37% | CORNERSTONE | 11 | Place to find a date ... and any one of four in this puzzle (circled letters are hints) |
| 36% | DIVEBAR | 7 | Seedy hangout ... or a hint to finishing four Across answers in this puzzle |
| 36% | PSANDQS | 7 | Good behavior ... or a hint to two lines of letters in this puzzle |
| 36% | CODESWITCHING | 13 | Speaking Spanglish, say ... or a hint to what's hidden in 20-, 28- and 48-Across |
| 36% | BBB | 3 | Grp. that battles consumer fraud ... or a hint to some much-repeated letters in this puzzle |
| 36% | BACKUPTHETRUCK | 14 | "Wait, what did you just say?," or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 35% | CORPORATEMERGER | 15 | Business acquisition ... or a hint to how the answers to the starred clues in this puzzle were formed? |
| 35% | FREAKY | 6 | With 34-Across, 2003 body-switching comedy ... or a hint to what's in this puzzle's circled letters? |
| 35% | HERESTHEKICKER | 14 | Lead-in to a surprising twist … or a hint to 16-, 22-, 32- and 45-Across |
| 34% | PARTYANIMAL | 11 | Frequent reveler, or a hint to 16-/26- and 36-Across |
| 34% | AREYOUOKAY | 10 | Query of concern … or a phonetic hint to two pairs of letters appearing in 17-, 24-, 37- and 48-Across |
| 34% | FROMMETOYOU | 11 | 1963 Beatles hit ... or a hint to 16-, 26-, and 42-Across |
| 34% | CLUBSANDWICHES | 14 | Layered lunch orders ... or a hint to 16-, 24-, 34- and 48-Across |