| 100% | NOVA | 4 | "Super" follower to mean the explosion of a star |
| 56% | SUPERNOVA | 9 | Astronomical term for the explosion of a star |
| 50% | KNIFE | 5 | "Dessert" or "butter" follower to mean a piece of cutlery |
| 49% | HYPERNOVA | 9 | Explosion of a star that's more than just "super" |
| 49% | OPER | 4 | Abbr. to the right of a star |
| 49% | ACRO | 4 | Prefix with "yoga" to mean the practice that involves a lot of lifting |
| 48% | NOVA | 4 | "Super" follower to mean stellar explosion |
| 48% | EASYON | 6 | Start of a billboard catchphrase meaning "close to the highway" |
| 47% | SUPERNOVA | 9 | The explosion at the end of a star's life cycle |
| 47% | END | 3 | "The" follower to mean a conclusion |
| 47% | FRONTOFFICE | 11 | Management department of a company, and a hint to the starred answers |
| 46% | SUPERNOVA | 9 | Powerful light-emitting explosion of a star |
| 46% | SUPERNOVA | 9 | Giant explosion of a star |
| 46% | SUPERNOVA | 9 | Powerful explosion of a star |
| 46% | DIAL | 4 | Word before "up" to mean a form of internet access used in the '90s |
| 45% | SHOOTING | 8 | The type of star you're told to make a wish on |
| 45% | PARTYINTHEBACK | 14 | Tongue-in-cheek description of a mullet, and of the answers to the starred clues |
| 45% | SPECIALK | 8 | Total alternative ... and a feature of the answers to starred clues? |
| 45% | PIGOUT | 6 | Ingurgitate, and a hint to making sense of the starred clues |
| 45% | MAN | 3 | "Super" or "Aqua" follower to mean a superhero |
| 45% | BIZ | 3 | "Show" follower to mean the entertainment industry |
| 45% | BEIRUT | 6 | Site of a devastating ammonium-nitrate explosion, leading the entire Lebanese Cabinet to resign (August, 2020) |
| 44% | CONNECTSTHEDOTS | 15 | Makes sense of a situation ... and, literally, what the quartet of answers to starred clues does |
| 44% | SCUD | 4 | Name of a missile used in the gulf war, which means to move quickly like clouds |
| 44% | CAPISCE | 7 | Word at the end of a sentence to mean "Do you understand?" |
| 44% | OMEN | 4 | Sign ... or a description of the answers to the six starred clues? |
| 44% | TRIPLETIME | 10 | Minuet meter ... or a description of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 44% | HIDDENFEES | 10 | Unexpected charges, and a feature of the answers to the starred clues |
| 44% | ENTAILS | 7 | Involves, or a phonetic feature of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 44% | SOUNDMIXING | 11 | Audio technique, or a feature of the answers to the starred clues |