| 100% | DEMONSTRATE | 11 | Explain and illustrate |
| 56% | CLEARCUT | 8 | Well explained and unambiguous |
| 53% | AGEE | 4 | Jon who wrote and illustrated "Palindromania!" |
| 52% | THEORY | 6 | An idea to explain and understand something |
| 50% | EPITOMISE | 9 | Illustrate energy and impose it badly |
| 50% | SHEL | 4 | Silverstein who wrote and illustrated "The Giving Tree" |
| 50% | AGAIN | 5 | "Time and __": illustrated Jack Finney novel |
| 49% | SYD | 3 | Hoff who wrote and illustrated "Danny and the Dinosaur" |
| 47% | PAINTING | 8 | Illustrating a book page with brushes and oils |
| 47% | DIK | 3 | Browne who illustrated "Hi and Lois" |
| 47% | MAGAZINES | 9 | Publications like People and Sports Illustrated |
| 46% | GOESWITHOUTSAYING | 17 | Beats it and won't explain why? |
| 45% | AGEE | 4 | Jon who wrote and illustrated "Smart Feller, Fart Smeller and Other Spoonerisms" |
| 45% | INTERPRET | 9 | To examine and explain the meaning of something |
| 44% | AGAIN | 5 | "Time and ___" (Jack Finney illustrated science fiction novel) |
| 44% | LUCE | 4 | Henry ___, founder of Time, Life and Sports Illustrated |
| 44% | MIRACLE | 7 | Surprising and welcome event; can't be explained |
| 43% | BREAKINGNEWS | 12 | Developing story, and what this puzzle's circles illustrate |
| 43% | DAD | 3 | One who might explain the birds and the bees |
| 43% | EAGLE | 5 | Term illustrated by parts of 61- and 67-Across |
| 42% | AGEE | 4 | Jon who wrote and illustrated "Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog!" |
| 42% | ALISONBECHDEL | 13 | Cartoonist who wrote and illustrated the graphic memoir "Are You My Mother?" (2 wds.) |
| 42% | THEGIVINGTREE | 13 | Illustrated story about selfishness and selflessness written by 39-Across (3 wds.) |
| 42% | ASHE | 4 | Subject of four Sports Illustrated covers between 1966 and 1993 |
| 42% | BIRDIE | 6 | Term illustrated by the starts of 17- and 20-Across |
| 42% | BOGEY | 5 | Term illustrated by the starts of 39- and 44-Across |
| 41% | HERESWHY | 8 | "Allow me to explain," and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 39% | BREAKSITALLDOWN | 15 | Explains in meticulous detail, and what the answer to each starred clue literally does? |
| 39% | AFRAMEBUILDINGS | 15 | Structures illustrated twice in this puzzle through both black squares and letters |
| 38% | WOODS | 5 | Sports Illustrated's first two-time Sportsman of the Year, 1996 and 2000 |