| 100% | ALCAPP | 6 | Cartoonist featured in a 2013 biography subtitled “A Life to the Contrary” |
| 40% | SPLITSCREEN | 11 | Feature of some news reports ... and a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 40% | BAMBI | 5 | Classic 1942 film based on a book subtitled "A Life in the Woods" |
| 39% | PORE | 4 | Skin feature … and a clue to the circled square in this row |
| 38% | BAMBI | 5 | Kids' classic subtitled "A Life in the Woods" |
| 38% | BAMBI | 5 | 1923 book subtitled "A Life in the Woods" |
| 38% | AREFREE | 7 | The best things in life __, according to a saying |
| 36% | ORANGE | 6 | "___ Is The New Black," fill in a color to complete the name of the TV show featuring Taylor Schilling |
| 36% | OKLAHOMA | 8 | Place the Joads left to seek a better life in California |
| 36% | WORD | 4 | Scrabble play, or, when parsed in three parts, a hint to the switch featured in this puzzle's longest answers |
| 36% | RED | 3 | "___ Dwarf," fill in a color to complete the name of this British sitcom featuring Chris Barrie |
| 36% | BLUE | 4 | "___ Bloods," fill in a color to complete the name of this police procedural featuring Tom Selleck |
| 36% | WHITE | 5 | "___ Collar," fill in a color to complete the name of this procedural drama featuring Matt Bomer |
| 35% | XGAMES | 6 | 2013 competition where Mitchie Brusco became the first person to land a 1080 at in the Big Air event |
| 35% | CARDIO | 6 | Informal name for a hospital department related to the heart that is featured in "Grey's Anatomy" |
| 35% | BILATERAL | 9 | With 46-Across, feature of the answers to this puzzle's six starred clues, in a sense |
| 35% | PARTYINTHEBACK | 14 | Mullet's defining feature, in a common saying ... or, literally, what the answers to the starred clues have in common? |
| 35% | GOLDFINCH | 9 | Songbird that featured in a 2013 Donna Tartt novel |
| 35% | GREEN | 5 | "___ Acres," fill in a color to complete the name of this sitcom featuring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor |
| 35% | CHILD | 5 | "The Snow ___," novel by Eowyn Ivey set in the Alaskan wilderness, where a girl made of snow comes to life |
| 35% | ALBERTEINSTEIN | 14 | Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist profiled by 54-Across in a biography subtitled "His Life and Universe" (2 wds.) |
| 34% | HIDDENGEM | 9 | Diamond in the rough ... or a literal feature of each answer to a starred clue |
| 34% | JULIEDASH | 9 | First black woman to direct a feature-length film distributed theatrically in the United States |
| 34% | ENDZONE | 7 | Area that sees lots of spikes, in a way...and a feature in each answer to the six starred clues |
| 34% | ORCA | 4 | Swimmer featured in the 2013 film "Blackfish" |
| 34% | MIA | 3 | "Go for the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life" author Hamm |
| 34% | NINE | 4 | Cat lives count or the next number in a New Year's countdown (go to 3d to find out what you can do next year) |
| 34% | MAKE | 4 | "___ The Connection: 10 Steps To A Better Body And A Better Life," book by Oprah Winfrey and Bob Greene published in 1996 |
| 34% | NUTSHELL | 8 | In a __, means getting to the point in few words |
| 33% | HUMANS | 6 | Omnivores who occupy a position in the middle of the global food chain, contrary to popular belief |