| 100% | FRIEDRICE | 9 | Chinese menu standard, or what's literally found in the circled letters? |
| 65% | MIXEDBREED | 10 | Pet without papers ... or what is literally found in the circled letters |
| 57% | LIFECYCLE | 9 | Biological sequence, or what you'll find in the circled letters |
| 51% | SEACHANGE | 9 | Dramatic shift ... or what's literally found in each set of circles? |
| 50% | SPLITTICKET | 11 | Voter's crossover ballot, and what can literally be found in the circled letters |
| 50% | MIXEDSIGNALS | 12 | Communication confusion ... or what's literally found in this puzzle's three sets of circles |
| 45% | FIGHTINGWORDS | 13 | "Wanna take this outside?," e.g … or what are found four times in this puzzle's circled letters |
| 45% | KNOCKONWOOD | 11 | "Let's hope so!," or what is found in this puzzle's circled letters |
| 45% | BADPENNY | 8 | With "a," someone undesirable ... and what's found in the circled letters? |
| 45% | SPLITSECOND | 11 | Instant, or what you'll find in each set of circled letters |
| 44% | TURNINGRED | 10 | Showing embarrassment ... or what the circles in three puzzle answers are literally doing |
| 43% | STANDUPCOMICS | 13 | Entertainers found in the circled letters of this grid |
| 43% | LEMONADEMIXES | 13 | Tart drink concentrates, or what's literally found in 20-, 34- and 40-Across |
| 43% | CROSSREFERENCES | 15 | "See also" notations ... or what can be found in the circled squares in this puzzle? |
| 43% | BACKCHANNEL | 11 | Covert means of communication ... or what's hiding in the circled letters? |
| 42% | TROUBLEDWATERS | 14 | Difficult situation, or what can be found in each set of circled letters? |
| 42% | BACKWOODS | 9 | Primitive area, and what's literally found in this puzzle's circles |
| 42% | LONGWINDED | 10 | Verbose, and what the circled letters in this puzzle literally are? |
| 42% | MADDASH | 7 | Frantic rush, and what's literally found in each set of puzzle circles |
| 42% | WORKAROUND | 10 | Temporary fix, or what's found in this puzzle's circles |
| 41% | EXTRA | 5 | With 55-Down, kicker's contribution, and what's found in the circled letters |
| 41% | BACKCOUNTRY | 11 | Rural area ... or what can be found in each set of circled letters? |
| 41% | FAIRSHAKE | 9 | Equitable treatment ... and what's literally found in each set of circles |
| 41% | PUPIL | 5 | What's found in a classroom or the eye |
| 41% | BORDERSTATES | 12 | Geographic neighbors, or what this puzzle's circled letters literally are |
| 40% | TURNINGPALE | 11 | Losing color, or what can literally be found in the answers to the starred clues |
| 40% | TWISTEDSISTER | 13 | '80s hard rock quintet, and what's literally found in each set of circles |
| 40% | FALLAPART | 9 | Go to pieces, or what's literally hidden in the answers to starred clues |
| 40% | MIDDLEENGLISH | 13 | Tongue of Chaucer ... or what's literally shown in the shaded squares? |
| 40% | MIDTERMS | 8 | Some tests ... or what's found literally in 17-, 24-, 30-, 39- and 44-Across |