| 100% | MAJOR | 5 | Army rank ... or a word that means "area of academic focus" |
| 80% | MINOR | 5 | Underage one ... or a word that means "area of academic focus" |
| 80% | DEGREE | 6 | Thermometer unit ... or a word that means "area of academic focus" |
| 80% | DOMAIN | 6 | Online realm ... or a word that means "area of academic focus" |
| 77% | DISCIPLINE | 10 | Train someone to obey ... or a word that means "area of academic focus" |
| 74% | BRANCH | 6 | Limb of a tree ... or a word that means "area of academic focus" |
| 53% | ELEMENTAL | 9 | A word that means simple and basic, or pertaining to forces of nature |
| 49% | TUMBLER | 7 | Word that can mean a type of drinking glass or an acrobat |
| 47% | PRACTICE | 8 | "___ makes perfect" ... or a word that means "repetitive training" |
| 47% | LUXE | 4 | A word that means elegance or opulence |
| 47% | DRILL | 5 | Boot camp activity ... or a word that means "repetitive training" |
| 47% | EXERCISE | 8 | Hit the gym ... or a word that means "repetitive training" |
| 47% | ROUTINE | 7 | Gymnast's performance ... or a word that means "repetitive training" |
| 47% | MONARCHS | 8 | Butterflies with orange wings, or a word that means "kings" |
| 47% | FINE | 4 | Payment after doing something bad ... or a word that means "good" |
| 45% | LED | 3 | Word that could mean both, "went first" or "a type of bulb" |
| 44% | ANTONYM | 7 | A word that means the opposite of another word (for example, "good" vs. "bad") |
| 44% | BASS | 4 | Word that could mean both, "a type of guitar" or "a popular game fish" |
| 43% | RAT | 3 | *Sewage rodent ... or a word that goes with "trap" to mean a hopeless situation |
| 43% | TAPE | 4 | Word after "mix" to mean a handmade playlist of music on a cassette or CD that has been "lost" to time |
| 43% | ATOP | 4 | Another word that means "upon" or "at the peak of" |
| 43% | SOIL | 4 | Word that means “dirt” as a noun or “to dirty” as a verb |
| 42% | PHAGY | 5 | A suffix that means feeding on or consumption of |
| 42% | NOT | 3 | Word that completely changes the meaning of a sentence |
| 42% | PICKUP | 6 | Learn ... or a word that can precede the ends of 20-, 29-, 44- and 53-Across |
| 42% | QUEUE | 5 | Waiting line at the DMV... or a word that sounds like the first letter of 25a |
| 42% | APE | 3 | Word that means to imitate someone and is also the name of a primate |
| 42% | SALSA | 5 | Word that can mean either a dance or a sauce |
| 42% | CRICKET | 7 | Word that can mean either an insect or a sport |
| 42% | EMPTY | 5 | Containing nothing, or a word that sounds like the initials of the answers to the starred clues |