| 100% | INNERCIRCLE | 11 | Brain trust, and what you need to add to solve 16 clues in this puzzle |
| 56% | FISHORCUTBAIT | 13 | Line to the indecisive, and what you'll need to add in order to complete some lines in this puzzle |
| 47% | PASSNOTES | 9 | Furtively communicate in class, or what you need to do seven times in this puzzle |
| 46% | MAKEA | 5 | With 69- and 70-Across, get to the point . . . or what you’ll need to do with some of the answers in this puzzle? |
| 46% | ATONEMENT | 9 | Ian McEwan novel, and what's needed in solving this puzzle? |
| 45% | CUTOUTTHEMIDDLEMAN | 18 | What you have to do before entering seven answers in this puzzle? |
| 44% | CLIMBSTHELADDER | 15 | Advances through corporate ranks … and what the answer to each starred clue in this puzzle does |
| 43% | RUNUPATAB | 9 | Accumulate charges … or what you must do to answer four clues in this puzzle |
| 43% | DARKARTS | 8 | What sorcerers practice ... or a hint to interpreting five clues in this puzzle |
| 43% | GEARSHIFT | 9 | Auto part, and a clue to what's going on in five rows of this puzzle |
| 43% | FLAGONTHEPLAY | 13 | Gridiron infraction indicator, and a hint to what you'll find three times in this puzzle |
| 42% | DROPZONE | 8 | Certain delivery location, and a hint to solving six answers in this puzzle |
| 42% | FREE | 4 | ___ association (what's needed to answer three clues in this puzzle) |
| 42% | GALAXYBRAIN | 11 | Having ideas far too profound for anyone else to comprehend ... and what might help you solve this puzzle? |
| 42% | DROPINS | 7 | Unexpected guests, and what you need to do to seven Across answers for their clues to make sense |
| 42% | TRIMTHETREE | 11 | Do some holiday decorating ... and what you need to do to four puzzle answers to produce familiar phrases? |
| 42% | AROUND | 6 | Word needed to be added to 12 appropriately placed answers in this puzzle for their clues to make sense |
| 42% | YOUREMISSINGOUT | 15 | "That's a lost opportunity," and what can be said to the writer of four clues in this puzzle |
| 42% | TRANSFER | 8 | With 119 Across, one changing schools ... and what you must do between seven pairs of schools in this puzzle |
| 41% | CONDENSEDMILK | 13 | Ingredient of sweetened Thai tea, and a hint to solving some squares in this puzzle |
| 41% | IHOP | 4 | Chain with an alternate 28-letter name ... and what you need to write five puzzle answers? |
| 41% | FLIP | 4 | Action you need to take to understand this puzzle's starred clues |
| 40% | WRITERSBLOCK | 12 | Problem for a wordsmith, and a clue to five figures hidden in this puzzle |
| 40% | GETBENTOUTOFSHA | 15 | Blow a gasket, and a clue to making sense of some answers in this puzzle |
| 40% | AREYOUFORREAL | 13 | "Seriously?!" … or what one might ask of the answers to starred clues in this puzzle? |
| 40% | PUTONANACT | 10 | Pretend, and what you'll find five times in this puzzle |
| 39% | BACKUPTHETRUCK | 14 | "Wait, what did you just say?," or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 39% | COUNTDOWN | 9 | What might end the year, and a hint to five answers in this puzzle |
| 39% | HIDDEN{TAX} | 11 | Unseen price-hiker, and a clue to three squares in this puzzle |
| 39% | SKIPPER | 7 | Ship's captain, informally, and a hint to help you to understand five answers in this puzzle |