| 100% | HOLDINGPATTERNS | 15 | Flight paths above busy airports, and what the sets of circled letters literally are? |
| 57% | BOBOLINKS | 9 | Birds with short finch-like bills ... or, what the sets of circled letters literally are? |
| 55% | MAKINGAFACE | 11 | Smirking, scowling, or smiling, and what the sets of circled letters in this puzzle are doing? |
| 51% | CRACKAJOKE | 10 | Say something funny, and what the sets of circled letters do |
| 47% | SPINATALE | 9 | Embellish the truth, and what the sets of circled letters do? |
| 46% | GOD | 3 | What each set of circled letters is, relative to the first word in its answer |
| 45% | LONGWINDED | 10 | Verbose, and what the circled letters in this puzzle literally are? |
| 45% | BLOCKPARTIES | 12 | Neighborhood social events ... and what the four sets of circles are? |
| 44% | PEASOUP | 7 | Thick fog metaphor ... and what each set of circled letters is? |
| 42% | SPLITTICKET | 11 | Voter's crossover ballot, and what can literally be found in the circled letters |
| 41% | MOUNTAINRANGE | 13 | What each set of circled letters spells ... and depicts |
| 40% | FISHHOOK | 8 | Device at the end of the line, and what each set of circled letters represents |
| 40% | BOOKENDS | 8 | Items found on library shelves, and what are literally found in each set of circled letters |
| 39% | MIXEDRESULTS | 12 | Ambiguous outcome, and what the circled letters literally contain |
| 39% | JOBTURNOVER | 11 | Human resources concern, and what each set of circled letters reveals |
| 39% | SAGAWARDS | 9 | Hollywood honors since 1995, and what the circled letters are? |
| 39% | CANDYWRAPPERS | 13 | Halloween discards, and what the three sets of circles represent? |
| 38% | BLOCKBUSTERS | 12 | Megahits, and what the interior letters of 20-, 33- and 43-Across effectively are? |
| 38% | INGRAINED | 9 | Deep-rooted ... and what the uncircled letters of the answers to starred clues are? |
| 38% | ALMOSTNEVER | 11 | Rarely ... or what each set of circled letters is? |
| 38% | MIDDLESCHOOL | 12 | Junior high ... and what each set of circles is? |
| 37% | THROWNFORALOOP | 14 | *Bamboozled ... and what the circled letters, when connected in the proper sequence, can be? |
| 37% | FLATFINISH | 10 | Paint choice ... and what the first word of the answers to starred clues can literally be |
| 37% | JUMPSTART | 9 | Battery boost ... and what the first part of the answers to starred clues can literally be |
| 36% | FURNITUREASSEMBLY | 17 | Ikea task, and a task that can be applied to the sets of circled letters in this puzzle |
| 36% | MAKINGAPACT | 11 | Formally agreeing to terms, and what this puzzle's sets of circled letters are gradually doing |
| 36% | TWISTEDHUMOR | 12 | Element of irony, and what can be found in each set of circled letters? |
| 36% | SHELLCOMPANIES | 14 | Corporations with little business activity, and what are formed by the circled letters |
| 36% | RAINCOATS | 9 | Wet-weather gear, and what this puzzle's circled letters literally are? |
| 36% | MADDASH | 7 | Frantic rush, and what's literally found in each set of puzzle circles |