| 100% | TWINKILLING | 11 | Baseball double play, in slang ... or a hint to understanding the 12 Across answers that have circles |
| 43% | LALA | 4 | With 58-Down, head-in-the-clouds place ... or a hint to each answer that has four circles |
| 41% | GROUPCHAT | 9 | Conversation among friends ... or a hint to the animal collectives in the starred answers and the conversations that follow them |
| 40% | DOUBLEA | 7 | Pro baseball level ... or a hint to 12 answers in this puzzle |
| 40% | STILLIRISE | 10 | Classic Maya Angelou poem … or a hint to the answers to the starred clues and the circled letters, in two different ways |
| 40% | SKIPSCHOOL | 10 | Emulate Ferris Bueller ... or a hint to understanding the answers to the starred clues |
| 40% | SPINTHEBOTTLE | 13 | Classic party game ... or a hint to solving the answers that intersect circles |
| 40% | ISLANDHOPPING | 13 | Yachter's itinerary, maybe ... or a hint to understanding the answers to the starred clues |
| 39% | BEFOREHAND | 10 | Earlier ... or a hint to the words circled in 17-, 21-, 37- and 51-Across |
| 39% | HIDDENFIGURES | 13 | 2016 Best Picture nominee ... or a hint to the circled letters in 20-, 25- and 43-Across |
| 39% | LOVEISALLAROUND | 15 | "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" theme, or a hint to the start needed to complete 12 answers in this puzzle |
| 38% | BIRDIE | 6 | Something needed to play the game depicted in this puzzle ... or a hint to the six circled answers |
| 38% | YOUDONTSAY | 10 | "Is that so?," or a hint to the communication methods found in this puzzle's circled letters |
| 38% | CORNERSTORE | 11 | Local convenience ... or a hint to the words in the circled squares |
| 38% | SWITCHBLADE | 11 | Street weapon ... or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 38% | DIVEBAR | 7 | Seedy hangout ... or a hint to finishing four Across answers in this puzzle |
| 38% | BORDERLINES | 11 | Gray areas, maybe ... or a hint to 12 incomplete answers in this puzzle |
| 38% | NOWYOUSEEITNOWYOUDONT | 21 | Magic words … or a hint to the other long answers in this puzzle |
| 38% | GREETINGCARDS | 13 | Hallmark products … or a hint to what to find in the circled squares |
| 38% | COVERTOPERATION | 15 | Secret military mission ... or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle? |
| 37% | BACKSTORY | 9 | Fictional past, or a hint to four-letter words found in the starred answers |
| 37% | ONETWOTHREEKICK | 15 | Classic Xavier Cugat song ... or a hint to the invitation in the circled letters |
| 37% | ESCAPEACT | 9 | Houdini’s signature feat … or a hint to the circled squares in this puzzle |
| 37% | TWISTOFLEMON | 12 | Drink garnish ... or a hint to five letters in the answer to each starred clue |
| 37% | NAMECARDS | 9 | Labels at a dinner party ... or a hint to the circled letters hidden in the theme answers? |
| 37% | BACKUPTHETRUCK | 14 | "Wait, what did you just say?," or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 37% | POWERCOUPLE | 11 | Influential pairing, and a hint to the circles in four puzzle answers |
| 36% | SHREDDEDWHEAT | 13 | Breakfast cereal ... or a hint to what's found in the answers to the four starred clues? |
| 36% | ALLABOARD | 9 | Train conductor's cry … or a hint to each word in the answers to the starred clues |
| 36% | TAILINGOFF | 10 | Waning ... or a hint to what is found by circling all the T's in the completed puzzle |