| 100% | BREAKTHEICE | 11 | Begin a conversation, and what the answers to the starred clues do to their circled letters? |
| 75% | SEALEDWITHAKISS | 15 | Love letter message often accompanied by a lipstick mark, and what the answers to the starred clues are, thanks to their circled letters |
| 66% | DROPSTHEMIC | 11 | Dramatically ends a performance, and what the answer to each starred clue does? |
| 65% | CUTTHECARDS | 11 | Prepare a deck before dealing, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do |
| 63% | SKMIPLSSTNONTES | 15 | *Makes splashes at the shore ... and what each answer to a starred clue does |
| 63% | PALINDROMES | 11 | What the answers to the starred clues all are when their first and last letters are removed |
| 60% | DROPCAP | 7 | Large letter at the beginning of a paragraph, and what you must do to make sense of each starred answer |
| 60% | GODOWNTOTHEWIRE | 15 | Remain uncertain until the very end, and what the answers to the starred clues do? |
| 59% | CUTTHECARBS | 11 | Dieting advice, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do |
| 59% | BREAKASTORY | 11 | What an investigative journalist might do, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do |
| 59% | FILLONESSHOES | 13 | Step in for another, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do |
| 59% | BREAKTHEGLASSCEILING | 20 | Overcome a certain career barrier ... or what the answers to the starred clues do? |
| 58% | HIDE | 4 | With 73-Across, space-saving furniture, and what the answers to the starred clues each do |
| 58% | SPLIT | 5 | With 41- and 45-Across, go Dutch, or what the answers to the starred clues do? |
| 58% | HOLDTHATTHOUGHT | 15 | "Remember what you were about to say," and what the answers to the starred clues literally do |
| 58% | HUMBLEBEGINNINGS | 16 | Part of a rags-to-riches story, and what the answers to the starred clues literally have |
| 58% | MAKESWAVES | 10 | Causes a ruckus, and what the end of each answer to the starred clues does |
| 57% | BREAKSITALLDOWN | 15 | Explains in meticulous detail, and what the answer to each starred clue literally does? |
| 57% | ENDSINATIE | 10 | Concludes with no clear winner ... and what each answer to a starred clue does? |
| 57% | WORKOUTINTHEEND | 15 | Come to a satisfying conclusion, and what the answer to each starred clue literally has |
| 56% | CLIMBSTHELADDER | 15 | Advances through corporate ranks … and what the answer to each starred clue in this puzzle does |
| 56% | CHANGECOLOR | 11 | What autumn leaves do, and what five letters do in the answer to each starred clue |
| 55% | CHANGEPURSE | 11 | *Spot for coins, and what five letters do in the answer to each starred clue? |
| 55% | USEAN | 5 | With 60-Across, disguise one's identity ... and what the answers to starred clues subtly do? |
| 55% | CONNECTSTHEDOTS | 15 | Makes sense of a situation ... and, literally, what the quartet of answers to starred clues does |
| 54% | THEDEEPEND | 10 | *Where to dive in a pool ... and what the answers to starred clues all share? |
| 54% | CLOSEBUTNOCIGAR | 15 | "Not quite!," and what can be said about a letter string in the answer to each starred clue |
| 54% | PHONETIC | 8 | Like the alphabet that includes the answers to the starred clues ... and an anagram of the eight circled letters |
| 54% | SNAPCHAT | 8 | Popular mobile app ... and, as shown by circles, what the inner parts of the answers to starred clues do |
| 53% | SECONDLOOK | 10 | Reappraisal, and what the answers to the starred clues all have? |