| 100% | VAMP | 4 | Femme fatale and a word you'll find hidden in "vampire" |
| 71% | RAJA | 4 | Indian royal and a word you'll find hidden in "Maharajah" |
| 69% | WIT | 3 | Wisdom's partner, and a word you'll find hidden in "witch" |
| 65% | ELL | 3 | Shape of a right angle and a word you'll find hidden in "Ellen" |
| 54% | BANE | 4 | ___ of one's existence (biggest annoyance, and a word you'll find hidden within "urbane") |
| 49% | ASIA | 4 | Continent you'll find hidden in the word "caucasian," ironically |
| 45% | WRY | 3 | Dryly humorous (word you'll find hidden in "awry") |
| 44% | ORE | 3 | Miner's rock and a word hidden in "Korea" |
| 43% | STAY | 4 | "___ tuned! Solve the last words in the next 9 days and find a fun theme as you go along!" |
| 41% | WREN | 4 | Small songbird you'll find hidden in "wrench" |
| 41% | HERO | 4 | *Person who saves the day... and a word you may use to describe those being celebrated in this puzzle |
| 40% | SUCH | 4 | Word found before and after "and," in a phrase |
| 40% | NAVE | 4 | Main area of the church with pews (word you'll find hidden in "navel") |
| 40% | MEASURESUP | 10 | Meets expectations, and a hint to words hidden in the starred answers |
| 40% | THISANDTHAT | 11 | Miscellany, and a hint to the hidden words in the starred answers |
| 40% | WALDO | 5 | You'll find him in a crowd |
| 39% | LASTPLACE | 9 | You'll find a trailer in it |
| 39% | BALLRETURN | 10 | Bowling alley device, and a hint to the hidden word in each starred answer |
| 39% | FRUIT | 5 | What's found hidden between words in "deli meat," "little monster" and "radio range" |
| 39% | EIRE | 4 | Word you'll see on a stamp bought in Tullamore |
| 39% | FLAGONTHEPLAY | 13 | Gridiron infraction indicator, and a hint to what you'll find three times in this puzzle |
| 39% | MOREORLESS | 10 | Roughly, and a hint to the words hidden in 18-, 23-, 36- and 52-Across |
| 39% | ADIEU | 5 | Word repeated before "to you and you and you," in a show tune |
| 39% | BASK | 4 | Lounge in the sun, say (word you'll find hidden in "basket") |
| 39% | ENT | 3 | Sinus-healing doctor you'll find hidden in "tent": Abbr. |
| 38% | AEIOU | 5 | You'll find them all in a tennis court |
| 38% | MIDDLECLASS | 11 | Average income group, and a hint to hidden words in 18-, 24-, 40- and 52-Across |
| 38% | RAILSPLITTER | 12 | Abraham Lincoln nickname, and a hint to a hidden word in each answer to a starred clue |
| 38% | INNERCIRCLE | 11 | Small, influential group ... and a hint to the word hidden in each answer to a starred clue |
| 38% | NEST | 4 | Where 38-Across lay 1-Across ... or a word hidden in 20-, 27-, 44- and 51-Across |