| 100% | HARRISON | 8 | Benjamin ___, 23rd President of the U.S.A. and the fifth to sport a beard in office |
| 80% | GRANT | 5 | Ulysses S. ___, 18th President of the U.S.A. and the second to sport a beard in office |
| 78% | JAMES | 5 | ___ A. Garfield, 20th President of the U.S.A. and the fourth to sport a beard in office |
| 78% | LINCOLN | 7 | Abraham ___, 16th President of the U.S.A. and the first to sport a beard in office |
| 75% | TRUMAN | 6 | Harry S. ___, 33rd President of the U.S.A. and the last (so far) to sport a beard in office |
| 42% | WILSON | 6 | Woodrow ___, 28th President of the U.S. and Nobel Peace Prize winner who was born in December |
| 41% | LINCOLN | 7 | Abraham ___, 16th President of the U.S. who had a general store in New Salem |
| 40% | RICHARDNIXON | 12 | Former U.S. president who wrote "In the Arena: A Memoir of Victory, Defeat, and Renewal" (2 wds.) |
| 40% | KENNEDY | 7 | Last name of last U.S. President to die in office |
| 40% | RONALDREAGAN | 12 | U.S. president who was the first born in Illinois, the first to have been divorced, and the first to nominate a woman to the Supreme Court (2 wds.) |
| 39% | NEWDEAL | 7 | Name given to the domestic policies of US president Franklin D Roosevelt for economic and social reform during his first term of office |
| 39% | UFOS | 4 | In 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense established a group to examine them (abbr.) |
| 39% | BYATT | 5 | A S —, author of the novels Still Life and The Virgin in the Garden |
| 38% | MIRREN | 6 | Only person to have won the Triple Crown of Acting in both the U.S. and the U.K. |
| 38% | JAMESMADISON | 12 | U.S. president who was the first to have served in the House of Representatives, the first to have an inaugural ball, and the first to wear long pants instead of knee breeches (2 wds.) |
| 38% | TRUMAN | 6 | Harry S. ___, 33rd President of the U.S. who had an unsuccessful oil and mining business |
| 38% | ATTU | 4 | The Battle of ___, a famed battle between U.S and Japanese forces in Alaska |
| 38% | OVALOFFICE | 10 | Official office of the US president in the White House |
| 37% | IDIOM | 5 | Figure of speech ... and a synonym of the puzzle's alternate title, spelled left to right in the circled squares |
| 37% | FDR | 3 | Initials of the US president in office when Pearl Harbor was attacked |
| 37% | XXXXXXXXXXXX | 12 | Moves in the shape of A's, O's and U's at a disco? |
| 37% | EASTERNCOUGAR | 13 | A subspecies of puma from North America which was formally declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2018: 2 wds. |
| 37% | SLAVE | 5 | 27-Across was the last US president to own one while in Office |
| 37% | PH/FONETICALLY | 14 | Middle of the quip ... and a hint to eight squares in this puzzle |
| 36% | MOUSELEMUR | 10 | A species unique to Madagascar that is the world's smallest primate and one of the smallest mammals in the world: 2 wds. |
| 36% | STOOGES | 7 | A very popular slapstick comedy group in the early to late 60's : Consisted of Moe, Shemp, Larry, Curly and Joe |
| 36% | RADIOEDIT | 9 | Shortened version of a pop song ... and a hint to what's hidden in the answers to starred clues |
| 36% | DOUBLEPARK | 10 | Leave one's vehicle in a traffic lane, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues |
| 36% | MONROE | 6 | James ___, fifth President of the United States after whom a city in Louisiana is named |
| 36% | CAVEANIMAL | 10 | U.S.A. ___ of the Year (award given to the little brown bat by the National Speleological Society, in 2022) |