| 100% | SPS | 3 | CERN facility that's 4.3 miles in circumference that led to the Nobel-winning discoveries of the W and Z bosons (abbr.) |
| 31% | PEARL | 5 | With 4 Down, site of the attack that on today's date in 1941 lead to the US entering WWII |
| 29% | JAMESPALLISON | 13 | American immunologist who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Tasuku Honjo for discovery of a cancer therapy: 3 wds. |
| 28% | ORE | 3 | The longest train ever consisted of 682 cars, was 4.5 miles long and carried this product in W. Australia on June 21, 2001 |
| 27% | ABEAUTIFULMIND | 14 | 2001 biopic starring Russell Crowe that's one of six PG-13 films to win a Best Picture Oscar in the 21st century (3 wds.) |
| 27% | ACA | 3 | Award, now discontinued, that Brad Paisley won as Male Artist of the Year in 2010 and 2011 (abbr.) |
| 27% | FORTYTWO | 8 | Number that’s the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything, in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” |
| 27% | DERRY | 5 | "___ Girls," Channel 4 sitcom with female leads that's set in Northern Ireland and won multiple awards |
| 26% | EFI | 3 | U of Chicago org. devoted to interdisciplinary research in the sciences, named after one of its Nobel winning laureates (abbr.) |
| 26% | MBA | 3 | Degree that started materialising in the early 20's, and is one of the most sought after courses nowadays : Abbr. |
| 26% | BOHR | 4 | Surname of the father and son who won Nobel Prizes for Physics in 1922 and 1975 |
| 26% | ILO | 3 | U.N. agency that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969: Abbr. |
| 26% | KETO | 4 | Diet that's high in fats and low in carbs, as illustrated by parts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 26% | ACL | 3 | Part of HHS created in 2012 that aims to "maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults and people with disabilities" among others (abbr.) |
| 26% | ACLU | 4 | Nonprofit organization that strives to preserve the rights and liberties of Americans: Abbr. |
| 26% | THRILLER | 8 | Album by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones that won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1984 |
| 26% | VHS | 3 | VCR format that was a popular mode of watching 19a in the 1980s and 1990s: Abbr. |
| 26% | PEARLSBUCK | 10 | First American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1938: 3 wds. |
| 26% | TONI | 4 | First name of the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature |
| 26% | MUSEUM | 6 | ___ of Science and Industry, science center in Chicago built as part of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, that was meant to be temporary |
| 26% | RITE | 4 | Learning to read and w___ is one of the first things taught in school |
| 26% | 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. |
| 26% | MIRREN | 6 | Only person to have won the Triple Crown of Acting in both the U.S. and the U.K. |
| 25% | ACUTABOVE | 9 | On another level, or a clue to the starts of 3-, 4-, 11- and 27-Down |
| 25% | HELLO | 5 | Hit song by Adele that won 3 Grammy awards including Record of the Year in 2017 |
| 25% | GREENBOOK | 9 | 2018 drama starring Mahershala Ali that's one of six PG-13 films to win a Best Picture Oscar in the 21st century (2 wds.) |
| 25% | NUDE | 4 | Second single from Radiohead's album in 18a, that had a different title originally and was supposed to be part of the album "OK Computer" |
| 25% | USP | 3 | Male and female facility in Draper, southwest of Salt Lake City, that currently has a capacity of over 4,000 (abbr.) |
| 25% | WEAREYOUNG | 10 | #1 fun. hit released in 2011 that won the Grammy for Song of the Year: 3 wds. |