| 100% | EIDER | 5 | Down clue answer, often |
| 55% | UEY | 3 | Often-illegal maneuver that is key to answering the asterisked clues |
| 53% | SPEAKUP | 7 | "Louder!"...and a clue to the starts of four Down answers |
| 51% | FIRSTTWOLETTERS | 15 | What each Down answer needs from its clue in order to make sense |
| 51% | IMDB | 4 | Website I refer to often when writing clues like 4 Down, for example |
| 48% | LIFEPARTNER | 11 | Significant other, often, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues |
| 48% | STRIKEONE | 9 | Ump's call, often based on a sequence found in the answers to starred clues |
| 48% | END | 3 | Apt answer for this final Down clue |
| 46% | STATE | 5 | With 39 Across and 33 Down, what each syllable of the answer to each starred clue is |
| 46% | JUSTDESSERTS | 12 | Appropriate reward, as often misspelled ... and what the starts of the answers to starred clues might be |
| 46% | XXX | 3 | Ensign's answer, often |
| 46% | TRIVIA | 6 | Quiz show answers, often |
| 44% | TRAINEE | 7 | 51 Down, often |
| 44% | TRIVIA | 6 | "Jeopardy!" answers, often |
| 44% | DROPTHEBALL | 11 | Lose focus, and a visual hint to solving seven Across clues and a literal hint to seven Down answers |
| 43% | HINT | 4 | Clue to an answer |
| 43% | CROSSWORDS | 10 | Puzzles with across and down clues |
| 43% | INNER | 5 | With 60-Down, what the answer to each starred clue has |
| 42% | EASIEST | 7 | Clue to answer first, perhaps |
| 42% | HINT | 4 | Clue to an answer, say |
| 42% | YODA | 4 | Answers this clue, he does |
| 42% | AMBIGUITY | 9 | Quality of oracular answers, often |
| 41% | WORD | 4 | Answer to this clue, for example |
| 41% | END | 3 | You've reached it for the Down clues |
| 41% | ERRS | 4 | Answers "airs" for this clue, say |
| 41% | DOGEARED | 8 | Often turned down, in a way |
| 41% | ACROSS | 6 | Down's opposite for puzzle clues |
| 41% | CHEERYOS | 8 | Theme of the starred clues' answers |
| 41% | END | 3 | Fitting final Down answer |
| 41% | QUILT | 5 | It often gets down |