| 24% | ELO | 3 | Band with a song including a repeated lyric commonly misheard as "Bruce" |
| 24% | JUST | 4 | With "in" and 12-Down, as a precaution |
| 23% | BOTTLEEPISODE | 13 | TV series installment with a limited set and cast |
| 23% | AIM | 3 | Prepare to fire, as with a bow and arrow |
| 23% | GENRE | 5 | A category or type, as with music and film |
| 23% | BLACKENED | 9 | Fried with a spice coating and charred, as with Cajun-style fish |
| 23% | TRAGIC | 6 | Like a play with an unhappy ending, such as "Romeo and Juliet" |
| 23% | MAGNOLIA | 8 | Type of flower and a 1990s film with ensemble cast |
| 23% | OREO | 4 | Snack with a Green Tea version in China and Japan |
| 23% | AIMED | 5 | Prepared to shoot, as Cupid with a bow and arrow |
| 23% | REBEL | 5 | Person with a torn dress and whose face is a mess |
| 23% | DRESS | 5 | Mix with oil and vinegar, as a 1-Down |
| 23% | SEWN | 4 | Pieced together with needle and thread, as a quilt |
| 22% | SCONES | 6 | Eaten in a cream tea with jam and cream |
| 22% | SNL | 3 | Subj. of an upcoming movie whose ensemble cast includes Nicholas Braun as both Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman |
| 22% | TAHR | 4 | Goat-like mammal with a shaggy coat and curved horns such as the Himalayan — |
| 22% | SPURGE | 6 | Plant with a milky sap and small flowers such as the wood — or sun — |
| 22% | TAKE | 4 | With "in" and 55-Down, use without proper respect, as a name |
| 22% | MAKELIKEA | 9 | With 63- and 65-Across, go away as a soda jerk might? |
| 22% | KERR | 4 | Steve with nine NBA titles as a player and coach |
| 21% | EMMA | 4 | Title heroine described as "handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition" |
| 21% | NBAJAM | 6 | Game with a secret additional roster of players that includes Bill Clinton and Al Gore |
| 21% | MISTLETOE | 9 | A plant with yellowish flowers and white berries used as a Christmas decoration |
| 21% | ARNOLDPALMER | 12 | Four-time Masters champion with a lemonade and iced tea drink named after him: 2 wds. |
| 21% | WEIRDAL | 7 | Singer Yankovic with such parodies as “Amish Paradise” and “Like a Surgeon” |
| 21% | MATCHA | 6 | Chocolate that's been infused with green tea leaves and shares a name with a tea variety |
| 21% | DAD | 3 | With 23-Down, male physique described as "a nice balance between a beer gut and working out" |
| 21% | DRAWTOWARD | 10 | Attract ... or, as three words, sequence change with a hint about 18-, 24-, 38- and 51-Across |
| 21% | SATURDAY | 8 | With 49-Across, NBC sketch show with Jason Sudeikis as a 2005-2013 cast member |