| 100% | STRAIGHTLINE | 12 | Fastest route, in theory, or a punny clue for the starred answers |
| 50% | NOTTOBE | 7 | Ill-fated ... or a hint for answering the six starred clues |
| 49% | TRITE | 5 | Banal, or a three-part hint for the answers to the starred clues |
| 49% | LETSGOYANKEES | 13 | Cheer heard in the Bronx, or a phonetic hint for making the starred clues match their answers |
| 49% | RAFTERS | 7 | Ceiling beams, or a three-word hint for the answers to the starred clues |
| 48% | TWISTOFLEMON | 12 | Drink garnish ... or a hint to five letters in the answer to each starred clue |
| 48% | DEADENDS | 8 | Unfruitful paths ... or a description of both words in the answers to the seven starred clues? |
| 48% | SHREDDEDWHEAT | 13 | Breakfast cereal ... or a hint to what's found in the answers to the four starred clues? |
| 48% | ALLABOARD | 9 | Train conductor's cry … or a hint to each word in the answers to the starred clues |
| 47% | SEVENCS | 7 | Punny title for this puzzle that's a hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 47% | YOURATTENTIONPLEASE | 19 | Start of an announcement ... or a hint to what's hidden in the answers to the six starred clues |
| 46% | HOMEOFMOUNTRUSHMORE | 19 | What 15-Down is ... or a hint to the answers to the four starred clues in left-to-right order |
| 46% | DOWNANDDIRTY | 12 | Done in a quick but effective manner ... or like the answers to the three starred clues? |
| 46% | DOWNANDDIRTY | 12 | Done in a quick but effective manner ... or like the answers to the three starred clues |
| 46% | STILLIRISE | 10 | Classic Maya Angelou poem … or a hint to the answers to the starred clues and the circled letters, in two different ways |
| 46% | SUPERGIRL | 9 | Kara Zor-El's identity in DC Comics ... or a punny hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 45% | TRIMTHETREE | 11 | Decorate for Christmas, in a way, and how to make sense of the answer to each starred clue? |
| 45% | HOMEOPENER | 10 | Game one for season ticket holders ... or, literally, what each word in the answers to starred clues can have |
| 45% | RIPPEDABS | 9 | Many a gymgoer's goal … or what the starred clues in this puzzle must have for their answers to make sense? |
| 43% | FIREANDRAIN | 11 | James Taylor classic ... or, respectively, what can precede the two words in each answer to a starred clue |
| 43% | ENDSUPONTOP | 11 | Prevails eventually … or a hint to entering the answers to the six starred clues in this puzzle |
| 43% | THIS | 4 | With 64-Across, NBC drama ... or, in four parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues |
| 43% | HIDDENGEM | 9 | Diamond in the rough ... or a literal feature of each answer to a starred clue |
| 43% | ADAPTATION | 10 | *2002 movie in which a Susan Orlean work is described as “that sprawling New Yorker shit” . . . or what the answer to each starred clue is |
| 42% | BITTEREND | 9 | R? … or a hint to the answers of the five starred clues |
| 42% | OMEN | 4 | Sign ... or a description of the answers to the six starred clues? |
| 42% | ITCOUPLES | 9 | Tabloid twosomes ... or a hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 42% | TRIPLETIME | 10 | Minuet meter ... or a description of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 42% | HALFOFF | 7 | Discounted 50% ... or a hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 42% | LOWKEY | 6 | Casual ... or a hint to the answers to the five starred clues |