| 100% | AESOP | 5 | A storyteller from ancient Greece, credited with writing 17-Across, 31-Across and 41-Across |
| 38% | THEBIGFIVEOH | 12 | Milestone birthday, informally ... with a hint to 20-, 31- and 41-Across |
| 38% | FINDINGNEMO | 11 | 2003 animated film … with a hint to 17-, 32- and 41-Across |
| 37% | LANDBRIDGE | 10 | Continental connection … and a hint to 17-, 24-, 31-, 41- and 48-Across |
| 36% | CARDHOLDER | 10 | One with credit ... or a literal hint to 17-, 27- and 44-Across |
| 35% | GREEK | 5 | With 58-Across, "Antigone" and others ... or, when reinterpreted, a hint to 17-, 31- and 50-Across |
| 34% | TAIL | 4 | What 17-Across, 31-Across and 41-Across all wag when happy |
| 34% | SEASON | 6 | With 41-Across, good time for a cliffhanger ... or what each of 17-, 24-, 50- and 63-Across has? |
| 32% | ACADEMYAWARD | 12 | See 17-, 23-, 31-, 41- and 63-Across |
| 32% | JHUMPA | 6 | With 27-Across, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner who wrote 17-Across and 36-Across |
| 32% | ABOOKMUSTBE | 11 | With 31-, 46- and 61-Across, comment from Franz Kafka |
| 32% | GILLIANFLYNN | 12 | Author who wrote the novels from which 17-Across and 29-/31-Across were adapted: 2 wds. |
| 31% | NOBUTSABOUTIT | 13 | "Without a doubt!," and a hint to 20-, 31-, and 41-Across |
| 31% | HOTSTUFF | 8 | 1979 Donna Summer song, and a description of 17-, 23-, 31-, 43- and 49-Across |
| 31% | SMARTSTART | 10 | Kellogg's antioxidants cereal, and a clue to 17-, 24-, 31-, 45- and 51-Across |
| 31% | POPUPSHOP | 9 | Temporary spot to do business … or a hint to answering 17-, 35- and 41-Across |
| 31% | AESOP | 5 | Ancient storyteller from Greece |
| 31% | HIDDENFEE | 9 | Feature of some contracts, and a hint to 17-, 25- and 41-Across |
| 31% | LIGHTSLEEPER | 12 | Easily awakened individual ... whose bed may feature a 20-, 31- and 41-Across? |
| 31% | ONLINECOMMUNITY | 15 | Web-based group, or a collective descriptor of 17-, 26-, and 41-Across? |
| 30% | TWENTYONE | 9 | Number associated with 17-, 25-, 41- and 51-Across |
| 30% | SIXWAYSTOSUNDAY | 15 | Completely ... with a summation of 17-, 30- and 47-Across |
| 30% | ONE | 3 | With 41 Across, a vitamin brand |
| 30% | SIGNONTHE | 9 | With 60-Across, ink a contract ... or a feature of 17-, 25- and 37-Across |
| 30% | MOVIEBUFFS | 10 | Avid fans of cinema … or a punny description of 17-, 31-, 40- and 47-Across |
| 30% | BETWEEN | 7 | With 39-Across, a description of the answers inside 17-, 24-, 49- and 60-Across |
| 30% | STARTINGQB | 10 | Brady or Mahomes, and a hint to 17-, 31-, 37- and 45-Across |
| 30% | SPLIT | 5 | With 51-Across, nitpick ... or a hint to 17-, 37- and 60-Across |
| 30% | CORNER | 6 | With 41-Across, corporate status symbol ... and a hint to the circled letters |
| 30% | HIGHERPOWER | 11 | Divine being ... or a hint to 17-, 31- and 48-Across |