| 100% | FOUNDING | 8 | ___ Fathers, led by George Washington this group of leaders established the U.S. of A |
| 39% | UFOS | 4 | In 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense established a group to examine them (abbr.) |
| 39% | FAREWELL | 8 | ___ Address, letter written by George Washington as a parting message to the citizens of USA |
| 35% | BIRDS | 5 | This 2024 song of the year led the flock. Give it up for "___ of a Feather" by Billie Eilish! |
| 34% | LIS | 3 | Portal established by the US Dept. of Agric. that aims to get a better crop yield from your bean fields |
| 32% | KENTUCKYWOMAN | 13 | Neil Diamond song inspired by female fans during a tour of the U.S. South (2 wds.) |
| 32% | ORC | 3 | The Uruk-Hai bred by the Wizard Saruman of Tolkein's Isengard, is a particularly large one of these |
| 32% | MONTPELIER | 10 | This US State Capital has the smallest population of them all and doesn't even have a McDonald's |
| 32% | AMER | 4 | From the U.S. of A. |
| 31% | CAROLINA | 8 | The US has a North and South version of this state |
| 31% | IDA | 3 | ___ B. Wells, civil-rights leader who founded one of the first Black women’s suffrage groups in the U.S. |
| 31% | FIRSTLADY | 9 | Title held by the wife of a US president |
| 31% | CONGALINE | 9 | Group dance popularized in the U.S. by Desi Arnaz |
| 31% | EASTERNCOUGAR | 13 | A subspecies of puma from North America which was formally declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2018: 2 wds. |
| 31% | TRENTON | 7 | Site of a 1776 George Washington victory in the Revolutionary War |
| 31% | IRONORE | 7 | Vale S.A. and the Rio Tinto Group control the vast majority of the world's production of this resource |
| 31% | CANDIDA | 7 | Comedy play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1894 that revolves around the lives of a clergyman and his wife |
| 30% | SIGNERS | 7 | George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Ben Franklin vis-à-vis the U.S. Constitution |
| 30% | IVYLEAGUE | 9 | Seven of the schools in this group were established prior to 1770 |
| 30% | ADVANCETEAMS | 12 | Groups that do prep work ahead of an event, and a directive followed by this puzzle's theme answers? |
| 30% | TOMMYLEEJONES | 13 | Actor who played Samuel Gerard, the man who leads a team of U.S. Marshals in 18a: 3 wds. |
| 30% | ASSAD | 5 | Leader sanctioned by the U.S. in 2011 |
| 30% | AMENDMENTS | 10 | The U.S. Constitution has of 27 these |
| 30% | QUEEN | 5 | "Royal" title for the leader of a hive, who is followed by 11a |
| 30% | SHANGRILAS | 10 | The —, US girl group whose hits included 1964 US no 1 single Leader of the Pack |
| 30% | AMER | 4 | Like a res. of the U.S. |
| 29% | OBAMA | 5 | Former U.S. president who won a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Award for the audiobook of "Dreams from My Father" |
| 29% | OREGON | 6 | ___ Treaty, establishing the 49th parallel as a U.S. border |
| 29% | NIAGARA | 7 | ___ Falls, group of waterfalls in the USA that was designated as a Natural Wonder of the World by CNN |
| 29% | OILS | 4 | With fats and sweets, group at the top of the U.S.D.A.’s now retired food pyramid |