| 100% | INFERNO | 7 | Dante's hell with nine circles of suffering |
| 56% | HELL | 4 | Dante's "nine circles of suffering" place |
| 49% | LIMBO | 5 | First circle of hell in Dante's "Inferno" |
| 45% | NINE | 4 | Complement of Dante's circles of hell |
| 45% | MISER | 5 | Fourth circle of hell inhabitant, in Dante |
| 42% | TRAITORS | 8 | Occupants of the lowest circle of Dante's hell |
| 42% | DANTE | 5 | Creator of the nine circles of Hell |
| 41% | ISCARIOT | 8 | Resident of the lowest circle of hell, in Dante's "Inferno" |
| 38% | DANTE | 5 | Poet who wrote of the nine circles of hell |
| 37% | STYX | 4 | River that comprises the fifth circle of Dante's Inferno |
| 35% | INFERNO | 7 | Part of Dante's "Divine Comedy" set in hell |
| 34% | FISH | 4 | With 11-Down, what each of this puzzle's groups of circles represents |
| 34% | LUST | 4 | Crime of those in Dante's second circle |
| 34% | ANGER | 5 | Sin of those in Dante's fifth circle |
| 34% | STYX | 4 | River in the fifth circle of hell |
| 34% | GROWING | 7 | With 41 Across, gradually-apparent problem ... and an explanation of the puzzle's circles? |
| 33% | NINTH | 5 | Final circle of Hell otherwise known as Treachery |
| 33% | STAR | 4 | With 56-Down, series that's the source of the movie line in the circles |
| 32% | NESTING | 7 | With 68-Across, each successive one of a set graphically depicted by this puzzle's circles |
| 32% | BUBBLETEA | 9 | Beverage mixed with tapioca pearls ... or a description of this puzzle's circled letters? |
| 32% | THETHINKER | 10 | Sculpture thought to depict Dante observing the circles of Hell |
| 32% | ELLA | 4 | Fitzgerald with nine recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame |
| 32% | LOOSE | 5 | With 62-Across, handyman's assortment, and a hint to what's in each set of circles |
| 32% | PITTER | 6 | With 64-Across, sound of the circled words |
| 32% | NIMBUS | 6 | With 7-Across, sources of the circled words |
| 32% | LAYER | 5 | With 51-Down, description of the circled answers? |
| 32% | STITCHINTIME | 12 | Proverbial saver of nine, with "a" |
| 31% | CENTRAL | 7 | With 68-Across, the circled part of this crossword |
| 31% | BUNNYCHOW | 9 | S African meal of hollowed-out loaf with curry |
| 31% | PERFECTSQUARE | 13 | With some unscrambling, the contents of each set of circles |