| 100% | LEN | 3 | Irish mythological figure who lived under a loch near Killarney and flung his anvil into the hills each night causing pearls of rain to fall |
| 22% | MAKESWAVES | 10 | Causes a ruckus, and what the end of each answer to the starred clues does |
| 21% | EDGECASE | 8 | Situation that occurs under extreme conditions, and a description of the answer to each starred clue |
| 21% | CHANCEENCOUNTER | 15 | Bumping into someone, say ... and what the end of each answer to a starred clue can have? |
| 20% | DREWBARRYMORE | 13 | Actress who was the youngest host of "Saturday Night Live," and the only woman to host six times (2 wds.) |
| 20% | WILLIAM | 7 | ___ Faulkner, author of "The Sound and the Fury" who once wrote the entire outline to a novel on his office walls |
| 20% | SPIDER | 6 | ___ Grandmother, mythological figure who is a maternal figure and part of creation myths |
| 19% | TINAFEY | 7 | Actress/writer who was the first woman to be head writer of "Saturday Night Live," and the third woman to host five times (2 wds.) |
| 19% | ERNA | 4 | Mythological figure who bore 11 sons to her husband Jarl, who became the ancestors of the Norse class of warriors |
| 19% | TENANTS | 7 | People who live on land and pay rent to the owner of that land. |
| 18% | PLAYWITHINAPLAY | 15 | Embedded narrative, and a description of the answer to each starred clue |
| 18% | LER | 3 | God who's a personification of the sea to the ancient Irish (var.) |
| 18% | PENNAME | 7 | Pseudonym ... and what the end of each answer to a starred clue is |
| 18% | ALLEN | 5 | ___ Ginsberg, poet who wrote "Howl" and a major figure of the Beat Generation |
| 18% | CAMEOAPPEARANCE | 15 | Small film role, and a feature of the answer to each starred clue? |
| 18% | CZECH | 5 | Nationality of a poet and playwright who became the first president of his country |
| 18% | BACKBOARD | 9 | Hoop holder, and a hint to the first four letters of each asterisked answer |
| 18% | DARK | 4 | With 37-Across, fall of Rome aftermath, and a hint to the puzzle theme |
| 18% | ICARUS | 6 | Mythological figure who's a symbol of hubris |
| 18% | BLANKCHECK | 10 | Complete freedom ... and a hint to each half of the answer to each starred clue |
| 18% | CHAN | 4 | Jackie ___, martial arts legend and actor who lent his name to a species of wasps |
| 18% | WAYTOGO | 7 | Cry of approval ... and what the end of each answer to a starred clue is |
| 18% | ROLLTHEDICE | 11 | Take a chance, and how to form the sequence in each set of circled letters |
| 18% | THECIDERHOUSELURES | 18 | Story of a youth who says to hell with it and goes to the pub? |
| 18% | ERIC | 4 | ___ Clapton who is a three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
| 18% | RUSSELLBRAND | 12 | Comedian and voice actor in "Despicable Me" who has his own podcast, ''Under the Skin'' which is a mix of intellectual interrogations: 2 wds. |
| 18% | ICARUS | 6 | Mythological figure who flew too close to the sun |
| 18% | LETSGOCRAZY | 11 | First track on Prince's "Purple Rain," and a hint to each set of circled letters |
| 18% | NADAL | 5 | Rafael ___, tennis star and Grand Slam winner who lent his name to a species of wasps |
| 18% | EGON | 4 | Spengler of the Ghostbusters series who once tried to drill a hole in his own head |