| 100% | EXTRACT | 7 | Derive (from) ... or a two-part hint for understanding 17-, 33-, 42- and 58-Across |
| 49% | INITIALHERE | 11 | Contract directive … or a hint to what's missing from 17-, 20-, 58- and 62-Across |
| 45% | COMETOTHETABLE | 14 | Show up for negotiations ... or a hint for 20-, 33- and 42-Across |
| 44% | THEENDISNEAR | 12 | Apocalyptic warning ... or a hint to 20-, 33- and 42-Across |
| 44% | PARFORTHECOURSE | 15 | Average ... or a literal hint to 17-, 26- and 42-Across |
| 43% | SWITCHPOSITIONS | 15 | Trade places ... or a hint to parts of 17-, 27- and 48-Across |
| 43% | TOOCLEVERBYHALF | 15 | Overly inventive ... or a hint to the answers to 17-, 26- and 42-Across |
| 42% | HUEANDCRY | 9 | Public uproar … or a phonetic hint to the two words in 17-, 28- and 48-Across? |
| 41% | GLOSS | 5 | Some makeup ... or a hint to 17-, 26-, 43- and 58-Across |
| 41% | HORSEPLAY | 9 | Roughhousing ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 21-, 26-, 33-, 40-, 43-, 47- and 56-Across |
| 41% | SPOUT | 5 | Teapot part ... or a two-word hint to 16-, 25-, 43- and 59-Across |
| 41% | MIDDLEC | 7 | Starting point for a piano student, or a phonetic hint to 17-, 18-, 22-, 33-, 41-, 49- and 55-Across |
| 41% | GREEK | 5 | With 58-Across, "Antigone" and others ... or, when reinterpreted, a hint to 17-, 31- and 50-Across |
| 41% | BODYDOUBLES | 11 | Star stand-ins ... or a hint to 17-, 25, 48- and 58-Across? |
| 40% | BBQ | 3 | Cookout, briefly ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 23-, 52- and 58-Across |
| 40% | WHATSBUGGINGYOU | 15 | "Why the troubled look?" … or a hint to 17-, 24-, 48- and 58-Across |
| 40% | ELLEWOODS | 9 | "Legally Blonde" protagonist... or a phonetic hint to 12 Across and 17 Across |
| 39% | INNERNERD | 9 | The secret geeky part of you ... or a hint to 17-, 23-, 32-, 42- and 49-Across |
| 39% | WITHINCOST | 10 | Reasonably priced ... or a hint to 17-, 19-, 26-, 34-, 42- and 51-Across |
| 38% | BOUNDTOHAPPEN | 13 | Inevitable ... or a hint for 19-, 27- and 48-Across |
| 37% | REARENDED | 9 | Bumped from behind, or a hint to 17-, 25-, 37- and 48-Across |
| 37% | HIGHERPOWER | 11 | Divine being ... or a hint to 17-, 31- and 48-Across |
| 37% | FROMMETOYOU | 11 | 1963 Beatles hit ... or a hint to 16-, 26-, and 42-Across |
| 37% | WOMENOFLETTERS | 14 | Female scholars ... or a hint to 19-, 28-, 34- and 42-Across |
| 37% | IDTHEFT | 7 | Modern crime, briefly ... or a hint to 17-, 36- and 59-Across |
| 37% | FLOWERGIRLS | 11 | Certain wedding participants ... or a hint to 17-, 28- and 46-Across? |
| 37% | FIRSTSTATE | 10 | Delaware's nickname, or a hint to 17-, 23-, and 54-Across |
| 37% | GROUPTHINK | 10 | Intellectual conformity ... or a hint to interpreting 17-, 22- and 51-Across |
| 37% | THEPRICEISRIGHT | 15 | Classic game show … or a hint to 17-, 26- and 47-Across |
| 37% | COLORCOMMENTARY | 15 | Broadcast booth analysis … or a hint to 17-, 27- and 47-Across |