| 100% | AHL | 3 | Initials for sports leagues where you might wear skates in North America, play an old Irish game in the UK or don shin guards Down Under |
| 25% | CROSSE | 6 | Equipment used to play the oldest organized sport in North America |
| 23% | COT | 3 | Where you might go down in the ranks? |
| 21% | BED | 3 | Under the ___, location in your house where you may find dust bunnies and lost socks |
| 21% | LEFTOFCENTER | 12 | Somewhat liberal, or where you might find the first words in the answers to starred clues |
| 21% | GHOST | 5 | ___ in the Graveyard, kids' "spooky" game you might spot being played at 17a |
| 20% | ORS | 3 | Places where people may have the knives out for you, in brief |
| 20% | BACKTOSQUAREONE | 15 | Where you may go after reaching an impasse … or a hint for solving this puzzle's 12 starred clues |
| 20% | NHL | 3 | Sports group where the athletes wear skates: Abbr. |
| 20% | ITUNES | 6 | Where to find the songs in this grid ... or an appropriate title for this puzzle? |
| 20% | DOUBLEPARK | 10 | Leave one's car unlawfully ... or where you might expect to find the creatures in the answers to starred clues? |
| 20% | PINE | 4 | “Letter to the Person Who Carved His Initials Into the Oldest Living Longleaf ___ in North America” (Matthew Olzmann poem) |
| 19% | LACROSSE | 8 | Oldest organized sport in North America |
| 19% | VISOR | 5 | Let's spend a day at the tennis court! Sports ___, sun shield that you may use for a day of playing tennis |
| 19% | RISK | 4 | Board game where you might put armies in Irkutsk |
| 19% | PLANE | 5 | Where you might walk down the aisle |
| 19% | HAMPER | 6 | Where you might throw in the towel |
| 19% | WASHER | 6 | Where you might throw in the towel |
| 19% | LAB | 3 | Chemistry class setting where you might wear goggles, for short |
| 19% | NEYMAR | 6 | Brazilian FIFA athlete who plays for Santos FC and someone you can play as in the video game "Fortnite" |
| 19% | BAR | 3 | Where you might sing karaoke or play darts |
| 19% | ORLANDO | 7 | City that played its first ever major league pro sports game in 1989 as part of the NBA expansion draft |
| 19% | WATER | 5 | *___ balloon fight, snowball fight alternative for Christmas in July ... and a game one might play with friends in the backyard |
| 19% | REEL | 4 | Highlight ___, compilation of best plays from the season or game which is a popular break-time sight in most stadium sports |
| 19% | HURL | 4 | Stick used in an Irish game demoed in the 1904 Olympics where Chicago's Fenian F.C. beat St. Louis' Innisfails |
| 19% | UNO | 3 | Game where you might play a yellow Draw 2 card |
| 19% | TWISTER | 7 | Game where you might hear the command "Right hand yellow" |
| 19% | PIER | 4 | Where you may be waiting for your ship to come in |
| 19% | COLORADORIVER | 13 | Where you might tour the Grand Canyon in a 38-Across |
| 18% | UNO | 3 | Card game where you might play a green 9 |