| 100% | HOLY | 4 | "What if the way you hold me is actually what's ___?" |
| 75% | WAY | 3 | "What if the ___ you hold me is actually what's holy?" |
| 46% | BRADS | 5 | Fasteners ... or, if you change the fourth letter to an S, what the fasteners might be made of |
| 43% | BEE | 3 | Comedian Samantha who wrote the memoir "I Know I Am, But What Are You?" |
| 43% | LOVE | 4 | Nat King Cole classic that starts "L is for the way you look at me" |
| 43% | HOLE | 4 | "The more you take away, the more I become. What am I?" |
| 42% | HELLTOPAY | 9 | What there will be if you cross the wrong person |
| 42% | THEE | 4 | The way you used to be? |
| 41% | BLACKDOG | 8 | 52-Across song with the lyrics "At least I know that you are trying / But that's what makes it terrifying" (2 wds.) |
| 41% | NOONE | 5 | Who "can get in the way of what I feel for you," in a 2007 #1 Alicia Keys hit |
| 41% | OURS | 4 | What things belonging to you and me are |
| 41% | ASIAM | 5 | Just the way you see me |
| 41% | ASIAM | 5 | Exactly the way you see me |
| 41% | UEY | 3 | What you can hang if you want to go back the other way |
| 40% | BOX | 3 | Container (and, in a way, what you will find outlined by this year's clues related to the mega-meta) |
| 40% | SINNER | 6 | “Ah, if the Pope knew you were such a ___ / He’d be on his way”: Springsteen |
| 40% | BODYGUARD | 9 | The __, film with Whitney's I Will Always Love You |
| 40% | ISIS | 4 | Dylan song with the line "What drives me to you is what drives me insane" |
| 40% | ESP | 3 | If you have it, you might know what this answer is without reading the clue |
| 39% | ALTOSOLO | 8 | Phil Woods's contribution to Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" |
| 39% | SEE | 3 | "That's what I was trying to tell you!" |
| 39% | DONDRAPER | 9 | TV protagonist who said, "If you don't like what's being said, change the conversation" |
| 39% | SECRET | 6 | "If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you have lost me. What am I?" |
| 38% | VERNE | 5 | Author of the quote "I am not what you call a civilized man!" |
| 38% | STEM | 4 | What to hold when the bud's for you |
| 38% | ATOM | 4 | What the Emmy statue's winged woman is holding |
| 38% | NEVERCHANGE | 11 | "You're amazing just the way you are!" |
| 38% | RUE | 3 | "You will ___ the day you crossed me!" (regret) |
| 38% | MARS | 4 | "Just the Way You Are" singer Bruno |
| 38% | MARS | 4 | “Just the Way You Are” singer Bruno |