| 100% | RECRUITS | 8 | An ASVAB exam and a fingerprint scan are given to these individuals |
| 32% | TANNIN | 6 | This can give a bitter taste to tea and red wine |
| 31% | INJECTION | 9 | A syringe is used to give one of these |
| 31% | HARDEDGED | 9 | Gritty ... and a description of this puzzle, which is also a hint to completing eight answers |
| 31% | PARADISELOST | 12 | John Milton epic, and a hint to how four long answers in this puzzle were formed |
| 31% | DOWNSHIFTING | 12 | Changing to a lower gear, and an alternate title for this puzzle |
| 31% | READTHEROOM | 11 | “Did you really think this was an appropriate time to make a joke?” |
| 30% | DOWNUNDER | 9 | Nickname for 18-Across, and a hint to how four answers in this puzzle are to be entered |
| 30% | FURNITUREASSEMBLY | 17 | Ikea task, and a task that can be applied to the sets of circled letters in this puzzle |
| 30% | ABLE | 4 | Add a B to 48-Across, and you'll be ___ to get this word! |
| 30% | SIDEHUSTLE | 10 | Extra job, and a hint to what each starred answer is for many (and literally is, in this puzzle) |
| 30% | STYLE | 5 | "___ is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn": Gore Vidal |
| 29% | YOYO | 4 | Constantly dieting a lot and giving up, only to repeat the process again, is ___ dieting : Hyph. |
| 29% | SILK | 4 | China is a great place to buy some of this soft and luxurious fabric (3/4) |
| 29% | CORNERSTONE | 11 | Place to find a date ... and any one of four in this puzzle (circled letters are hints) |
| 29% | AREA | 4 | For an ellipse of semi-major axis a and semi-minor axis b, ?ab gives this quantity |
| 29% | DOORWAY | 7 | Portal represented 20 times in this puzzle that lets you in and out of a confined space (Note: These special letters, reading left to right, row by row, will produce an apt four-word phrase) |
| 29% | MULLIGANS | 9 | These might be given on a golf course, after the ends of 17-, 25-, 39- and 51-Across |
| 29% | KOALA | 5 | Visit a nearby zoo to see this cute bear-like marsupial that is an Australian symbol (2/3) |
| 28% | SHIFTGEARS | 10 | Make an abrupt change ... and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 28% | CITY | 4 | What an honored visitor may be given a key to |
| 28% | AREA | 4 | Zip code is given to a specific ___ in the city |
| 28% | LEGALREPRESENTATION | 19 | [aria-label] Depiction of a gavel and scales * This puzzle has an important note. Tap the "i" to read. * |
| 28% | KEEPITBETWEENUS | 15 | "Let this be our little secret" … or a hint to letter sequences hidden in 16-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 28% | TESTING | 7 | Giving an exam to |
| 28% | TEST | 4 | Give an exam to |
| 28% | AXIOM | 5 | This is a given |
| 28% | TIP | 3 | It might be given to a waiter or a police investigator |
| 28% | SASH | 4 | Accessory that might be given to a prom king or queen |
| 28% | RUDOLPH | 7 | Who's depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A |