| 100% | CURTAIN | 7 | *Drapes before a movie screen, which would be pulled apart at the start of the show |
| 40% | THEME | 5 | ___ song (tune at the start of a TV show) |
| 39% | NOR | 3 | Word before "happiness," "majesty" and "fame" at the start of a Shelley poem |
| 39% | GARLIC | 6 | ___ bread, appetizer that might be ordered at the start of a meal |
| 39% | FACEUP | 6 | The way cards are shown at the end of a hand |
| 38% | SNAP | 4 | What a center will do to a football at the start of a play |
| 38% | TET | 3 | Vietnamese New Year, which is represented by the Zodiac animals at the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 38% | BOOK | 4 | What you find in a library, or a word which can be used at the start of 20a, 25a, 35a, 48a, 55a, 31d, and 45d |
| 38% | MLB | 3 | Org. in which the start of five answers is a "central" player |
| 37% | TREE | 4 | Plant that provides shade... examples of which are found at the starts of 17a, 30a, and 41a |
| 37% | TRAILER | 7 | Teaser of a movie shown before the main event |
| 36% | DONUT | 5 | Treat whose varieties appear at the starts of four long answers and are represented a dozen times in this puzzle |
| 36% | FOURQUARTERS | 12 | Change for a dollar, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 36% | TONGUETIED | 10 | At a loss for words, and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 38- and 47-Across can literally be? |
| 36% | ELF | 3 | 2003 Will Ferrell film, parts of which are set at the North Pole |
| 36% | SIDESALAD | 9 | Dish that may accompany a main course, and what can be found at the start of 17-, 25-, 38-, or 53-Across? |
| 36% | WILDFLOWERS | 11 | Colorful elements of a meadow, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 35% | ITS | 3 | "The ___ Man", who appeared at the start of each Monty Python's Flying Circus episode only to be cut off after a single word |
| 35% | MONSTERS | 8 | "Godzilla: King of the ___," 2019 movie which is a prequel to "Godzilla vs. Kong" |
| 35% | LITTLE | 6 | & 1D Battle of the —, 1876 conflict at which General George A Custer was killed |
| 35% | SEED | 4 | A team's ranking at the start of the March Madness tournament |
| 35% | EMILIACLARKE | 12 | The actress from the show "Game of Thrones" who was the lead actress in the movie "Me Before You": 2 wds. |
| 35% | GETREADYWITHME | 14 | Friend's invitation before a party, or a TikTok genre that shows off the starts of 20-, 30-, and 41-Across |
| 35% | BLOOPER | 7 | On-camera goof that might be shown during the closing credits of a movie comedy |
| 35% | THECOLLECTOR | 12 | "And at 7 P.M. there'll be a showing of the 60's film ___..." |
| 35% | OBESE | 5 | Like a "Biggest Loser" contestant at the start of the season |
| 35% | TAKEOFF | 7 | At the start of a flight, you prepare for __ |
| 35% | APPLAUSE | 8 | Clapping at the end of a show |
| 35% | FAVOR | 5 | *Cry at the start of a vote |
| 35% | FYI | 3 | Initials at the start of a memo |