| 100% | ADAPTATIONS | 11 | A wood frog's ability to freeze itself in winter and an octopus's ability to change color, for two |
| 30% | DOWNSHIFTING | 12 | Changing to a lower gear, and an alternate title for this puzzle |
| 29% | TIME | 4 | What's seen on a clock ... and an invisible ingredient for farmers to grow the crops you see in the puzzle |
| 29% | STOAT | 5 | Beast that changes color in winter and then hides to avoid royal furriers |
| 29% | FLIESSOUTH | 10 | Migrates for the winter, and a hint to the shift in the starred answers |
| 26% | GRABFORTYINKS | 13 | What an exhausted, but enthusiastic, tattooist might do if asked to go and get supplies in a variety of colors? |
| 26% | MIA | 3 | "Go for the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life" author Hamm |
| 25% | SHIFTGEARS | 10 | Make an abrupt change ... and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 25% | SYNC | 4 | Good thing for a film's audio and video to be in |
| 25% | TWISTEDMIND | 11 | Trait for an evil genius ... and a hint to what can literally be found in 17-, 23-, 39- and 51-Across |
| 25% | EDGE | 4 | "The Cutting ___," 1992 sports rom-com about an ice hockey player and a figure skater who are forced to team up for the 1992 Winter Olympics |
| 25% | EASEL | 5 | Stand for holding a canvas, and something you'd find in an artist's studio |
| 25% | HIBERNATE | 9 | To sleep for months at a time, like bears in winter |
| 25% | HYBRID | 6 | In golf, a cross between a wood and an iron club |
| 25% | SHEEPTHRILLS | 12 | Grazing in a meadow and jumping fences, for two? |
| 25% | CABANA | 6 | Place to change for a dip in the pool |
| 25% | DINNERANDAMOVIE | 15 | Common pairing for an evening out, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 25% | ICE | 3 | ___ hockey, Winter Olympic sport in which two teams use sticks to shoot a rubber puck and was first played in the 19th century |
| 25% | RIGHTLYSO | 9 | For good reason, and a hint to five answers in this puzzle |
| 25% | STOAT | 5 | Mammal with a coat that changes color in the winter |
| 25% | CHAMELEON | 9 | Species of lizard known for their ability to change colors |
| 25% | DOUBLEPARK | 10 | Leave one's vehicle in a traffic lane, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues |
| 24% | SCIFISTORIES | 12 | "Winter's King" and "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience," for two |
| 24% | HANGTEN | 7 | Surf, in a way, and an appropriate title for this puzzle |
| 24% | ANNEBANCROFT | 12 | Actress who won a Tony and an Oscar for playing Helen Keller's teacher in "The Miracle Worker": 2 wds. |
| 24% | DICHROISM | 9 | Ability of a gem to show two different colors |
| 24% | CRISIS | 6 | Instability in an area, leading to a drastic change |
| 24% | GWENJORGENSEN | 13 | American distance runner and two-time ITU World Champion who was the first to win a triathlon gold for USA in the Olympics: 2 wds. |
| 24% | GOLDENHORDE | 11 | 13th/14th-century Mongol Empire region ... and an elemental hint to what's found twice in each answer to a starred clue |
| 23% | TICKS | 5 | Things to check for after a walk in the woods |