| 100% | SEACOW | 6 | Aquatic mammal, can refer to a manatee or dugong |
| 53% | DAVENPORT | 9 | Can refer to a vintage sofa or antique desk |
| 50% | PEASOUP | 7 | Phrase that can refer to a vegetable dish or a thick fog |
| 49% | GRIOT | 5 | Word that can refer to a West African oral historian or a Haitian pork dish |
| 48% | SEAL | 4 | Aquatic mammal or a way to close an envelope |
| 45% | DDR | 3 | Abbreviation that can refer to East Germany or a Konami game |
| 42% | SHE | 3 | Refers to a female person or animal |
| 41% | SEALS | 5 | Aquatic mammals, could be elephant or monk |
| 41% | SEACOW | 6 | Bovine nickname for a manatee or a dugong |
| 40% | PORPOISE | 8 | Aquatic mammal similar to a dolphin |
| 39% | HRH | 3 | Initialism, referring to a prince or princess |
| 38% | SKYWALKER | 9 | 2017 R&B hit by Miguel whose title could refer to a "Star Wars" protagonist: 2 wds. |
| 38% | TABOURET | 8 | Furniture piece referring to a stool or a cabinet |
| 36% | HOLM | 4 | German word that refers to an island in a river or a lake |
| 35% | AUTONYM | 7 | A word or name by which a group refers to itself |
| 35% | SEACOW | 6 | Manatee or dugong |
| 35% | SEACREATURE | 11 | Aquatic denizen … or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's circled words |
| 34% | AUTO | 4 | Referred to a car |
| 34% | REMITS | 6 | Refers to a higher authority |
| 34% | BARRIER | 7 | *Obstruction, or what 13a could refer to in architecture |
| 33% | BREAKSCHARACTER | 15 | Can't hold back laughter while performing, say ... or a hint to the circled letters |
| 33% | DUST | 4 | Contronym that could either mean to remove or to apply a certain substance |
| 33% | THEREARENOWORDS | 15 | "I can't even!" ... or a hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 33% | TOWN | 4 | Word that can follow Hades or Urine to make the title of a musical |
| 32% | GAL | 3 | Casual term referring to a girl |
| 32% | MRS | 3 | Title referred to a married woman |
| 32% | AHEADOFTIME | 11 | Early, or a hint to where each half of each starred answer can be found |
| 32% | HOT | 3 | ___ potato, phrase used to refer to a complicated or problematic situation |
| 32% | ALLYOUCAN | 9 | A bottomless buffet can be referred to as __ eat |
| 32% | META | 4 | Referring to a clue within the clue, e.g. |