| 100% | FLIGHT | 6 | "The ___ of the Phoenix," 1965 film starring James Stewart ... or part of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 71% | DREAMS | 6 | "Field of ___," 1989 film starring Kevin Costner ... or part of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 71% | THIS | 4 | "___ Means War," 2012 film starring Chris Pine ... or part of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 71% | YOUR | 4 | "How to Train ___ Dragon," 2010 animated film ... or part of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 70% | TAKE | 4 | "Every Breath You ___," 2021 film starring Casey Affleck ... or part of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 63% | MAY | 3 | "To Whom It ___ Concern," 2016 film starring Wilmer Valderrama ... or the start of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 41% | YEAR | 4 | "A Good ___," 2006 film starring Russell Crowe ... or the conclusion to a New Year's wish |
| 40% | LOOPDELOOPS | 11 | Upside-down parts of a roller coaster ride — represented twice in the answer to each of this puzzle's starred clues |
| 38% | JAN | 3 | New Year month to send a wish that is highlighted in this puzzle, for short |
| 37% | BOBSUPANDDOWN | 13 | Moves like a buoy in the ocean ... or a hint to the circled parts of this puzzle? |
| 37% | SIX | 3 | Half of a dozen or the next number in a New Year's countdown |
| 36% | COMPASS | 7 | Provider of directions ... or a hint to the four "+" shapes in this puzzle's grid |
| 36% | CUTTINGTHECARDS | 15 | Part of a blackjack dealer's ritual … or what this answer is doing vis-à-vis the answers to the starred clues |
| 36% | WORD | 4 | Scrabble play, or, when parsed in three parts, a hint to the switch featured in this puzzle's longest answers |
| 35% | BILATERAL | 9 | With 46-Across, feature of the answers to this puzzle's six starred clues, in a sense |
| 35% | THREE | 5 | (3/5) Part of a New Year's countdown... or a trio's number |
| 35% | RIPPEDABS | 9 | Many a gymgoer's goal … or what the starred clues in this puzzle must have for their answers to make sense? |
| 34% | CHEERS | 6 | Rallying words from fans in the stands, or a cry to mark the New Year's tradition of raising glasses |
| 34% | ENDGAME | 7 | Concluding stage of a chess match ... or a feature of the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| 34% | PARTANIMAL | 10 | Like a centaur or faun ... or a hint to the answer to each of this puzzle's starred clues |
| 34% | FEATUREARTICLE | 14 | In-depth news story, or any of the reviews mentioned in this puzzle? |
| 34% | CAPITAL | 7 | With 31-Down, proceeds from the sale of an asset … or a hint to understanding six answers in this puzzle |
| 34% | CIRCLESBACK | 11 | Brings up a prior topic … or a hint to making sense of the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| 34% | VICTORFLEMING | 13 | Director of the eight starred films in this puzzle, who was born on 2/23/1889 |
| 33% | RING | 4 | Boxer's arena, or a New Year's tradition that announces the beginning of the New Year (with "in") |
| 33% | ENDSUPONTOP | 11 | Prevails eventually … or a hint to entering the answers to the six starred clues in this puzzle |
| 33% | 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) |
| 33% | CORPORATEMERGER | 15 | Business acquisition ... or a hint to how the answers to the starred clues in this puzzle were formed? |
| 33% | REDENVELOPE | 11 | Traditional Lunar New Year gift . . . and a feature of three answers in this puzzle |
| 33% | ONEUNDERPAR | 11 | Golf score, or a description of the 18 hidden 65-Down in this puzzle |