| 100% | TICTACTOEISAMID | 15 | First line of a couplet pertinent to this puzzle |
| 45% | CONGRATULATIONS | 15 | First part of a message suggested by this puzzle's circled letters |
| 44% | SLANT | 5 | Incline (and a hint to the location in this completed puzzle of the first line of 9- & 59-Across) |
| 43% | RUBADUBDUB | 10 | First line of a nursery rhyme |
| 43% | IAMSAM | 6 | First line of a Seuss classic |
| 42% | ITWOULDBEASHAME | 15 | First line of a three-line poem |
| 42% | STPATRICKSDAY | 13 | Occasion pertinent to this puzzle |
| 42% | NAME | 4 | First line of a mailing address, usually |
| 42% | NOSHIRT | 7 | First line of a three-line eatery sign |
| 42% | IAMSAM | 6 | First line of a classic Dr. Seuss book |
| 42% | TORISPELLING | 12 | Author of a bestselling 2008 autobiography, and a hint to some pictographs in this puzzle |
| 41% | DISAPPEARINGACT | 15 | Part of a magic show, and the key to understanding this puzzle's one-word clues |
| 41% | PSANDQS | 7 | Good behavior ... or a hint to two lines of letters in this puzzle |
| 41% | CUTONBOLDLINES | 14 | First step of instructions for what to do with this finished puzzle |
| 41% | CHEXCEREALS | 11 | General Mills line, with a homophonic clue to this puzzle's circles |
| 41% | COMPUTERICON | 12 | [aria-label] Depiction of a laptop * This puzzle has an important note. Tap the "i" to read. * |
| 40% | LEADDETECTIVES | 14 | Ones in charge of a case ... or a literal hint to the eight other longest answers in this puzzle |
| 40% | NAMETHEONE | 10 | Start of a brainteaser whose answer appears in order, from top to bottom, in this puzzle's circled squares |
| 39% | MOAT | 4 | First line of defense built around a castle |
| 39% | PARTINGSHOT | 11 | End of a testy exchange, and what can be found four times in this puzzle, thanks to four black squares |
| 39% | INONESENSE | 10 | Description of this puzzle's circled letters, and a clue to what they spell |
| 39% | HEYDIDDLEDIDDLE | 15 | First line of a nursery rhyme about the cow that jumped over the moon |
| 39% | SEEMEAFTERCLASS | 15 | Ominous message at the top of a returned assignment ... and a hint to the beginning of four answers in this puzzle? |
| 39% | LOOPDELOOPS | 11 | Upside-down parts of a roller coaster ride — represented twice in the answer to each of this puzzle's starred clues |
| 38% | TIMES | 5 | Square where the words in this puzzle's dropping balls may be heard at the end of a song's first verse |
| 38% | LOTTODRAWING | 12 | [aria-label] Depiction of a device that randomly selects numbered balls * This puzzle has an important note. Tap the "i" to read. * |
| 38% | NOPLACELIKEHOME | 15 | End of a popular saying related to this puzzle's theme |
| 38% | LEGALREPRESENTATION | 19 | [aria-label] Depiction of a gavel and scales * This puzzle has an important note. Tap the "i" to read. * |
| 38% | SPITTINGIMAGE | 13 | [aria-label] Depiction of a person going "Ptui!" * This puzzle has an important note. Tap the "i" to read. * |
| 37% | FRONTROW | 8 | The first line of seats at a stadium or theater |