| 100% | MIDDLEC | 7 | Keyboard centerpiece, and a phonetic hint to six long puzzle answers |
| 69% | KEWPIE | 6 | Collectible doll, and a phonetic hint to four long puzzle answers |
| 66% | ELSIE | 5 | Borden cow ... and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's four longest answers |
| 64% | TRIPOLI | 7 | Capital of Libya, and a phonetic hint to a feature of this puzzle's four longest answers |
| 60% | SHIFTYEYES | 10 | Sign of deceit, and a phonetic hint to four puzzle answers |
| 60% | EMPTYWORDS | 10 | Blather, and a phonetic hint to the four other longest answers |
| 58% | IRONSUPPLEMENTS | 15 | GNC offering, and a chemical hint to three long puzzle answers |
| 57% | YOUSEE | 6 | "It's like this," and a phonetic hint to the five longest Across answers |
| 56% | NOUSE | 5 | Pointless, or a phonetic hint to five of this puzzle's long answers |
| 56% | ABSENTEES | 9 | Educators' concerns ... or, a phonetic hint to how four long puzzle answers were derived |
| 54% | EFFRONTERY | 10 | Boldness, and a hint to five long puzzle answers |
| 54% | CSPAN | 5 | "Gavel-to-gavel" broadcaster, and a hint to six long answers in this puzzle |
| 52% | DROPZONE | 8 | Certain delivery location, and a hint to solving six answers in this puzzle |
| 52% | BANDE | 5 | Burglary, for short ... and a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers |
| 52% | ONEEYEDROP | 10 | Minimal red-removing amount ... and a phonetic hint to four long answers |
| 52% | EMMY | 4 | TV award, and a homophonic hint to the four longest puzzle answers |
| 52% | ENEMY | 5 | Adversary, and a phonetic hint to trigrams within the starred answers |
| 52% | PANDL | 5 | CFO's monetary report, and a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers |
| 51% | DOWNATTHEHEELS | 14 | Tattered, and a hint to six answers in this puzzle |
| 51% | PARADISELOST | 12 | John Milton epic, and a hint to how four long answers in this puzzle were formed |
| 51% | ARTY | 4 | Pretentiously cultured, and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues |
| 51% | OBIE | 4 | Theater award ... and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues |
| 51% | AYEAYE | 6 | "Yes, captain" ... and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues |
| 51% | ESPYAWARDS | 10 | Honors for athletes, and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 50% | TURNONAD | 8 | With 69-Across, change quickly, and a hint to completing three other long answers in this puzzle |
| 50% | ESCAPEE | 7 | Search dogs' target ... and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues |
| 50% | WISEOFF | 7 | Make smart remarks ... and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues |
| 50% | CDCHANGER | 9 | Classic audiophile's equipment, and a hint to eight long puzzle answers |
| 50% | SNL | 3 | NBC fixture fond of wordplay, and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's spoonerisms |
| 49% | EYECONTACT | 10 | Public speaker's asset, and a phonetic hint to a feature of the starred answers |