| 100% | DIT | 3 | Letter to the e___or |
| 68% | STATEMOTTO | 10 | "North to the Future" or "Live Free or Die," e.g. |
| 68% | ERRAND | 6 | Going to the store or picking up laundry, e.g. |
| 66% | EDITOR | 6 | Letter to the ___ |
| 66% | IMPROVISE | 9 | To make up on the spot, e.g. in acting or comedy |
| 64% | GOATMILK | 8 | Alternative to 2% … with or without the shaded letter |
| 64% | FRIENDSTOTHEEND | 15 | True buds, and a hint to the last three or four letters of each starred answer |
| 64% | GRIPE | 5 | Letter to the editor, often |
| 64% | CORD | 4 | Telephone wire, or change a letter in 14a to get the answer |
| 64% | MUM | 3 | Close-mouthed, or change a letter in 27d to get the answer |
| 64% | MAD | 3 | Extremely upset, or change a letter in 6d to get the answer |
| 63% | CANDYCANE | 9 | Christmas tree decoration ... or a hint to what the circled letters form |
| 63% | SASE | 4 | Letter to the editor accompanier: Abbr. |
| 63% | MUD | 3 | Kind of pie, or change a letter in 18d to get the answer |
| 63% | WARM | 4 | Like some welcomes, or change a letter in 39a to get the answer |
| 62% | ANIMALHOUSE | 11 | 1978 John Belushi movie, and a hint to the first three or four letters of the starred answers |
| 62% | WORD | 4 | Part of a sentence, or change a letter in 22a to get the answer |
| 61% | STRICT | 6 | To the letter |
| 61% | CLOSELY | 7 | To the letter |
| 61% | FAITHFULLY | 10 | To the letter |
| 61% | EXACT | 5 | To the letter |
| 61% | VICIOUSCYCLES | 13 | Hard patterns to break ... or a punny description of the climbs up the circled letters |
| 61% | GRIPE | 5 | Many a letter to the editor |
| 61% | RINSECYCLE | 10 | Part of washing ... or what's exhibited by the circled letters from top to bottom |
| 61% | TIRE | 4 | Bad thing to blow ... or what each of the circled letters in this puzzle represents |
| 61% | REALIST | 7 | Practical sort ... or anagram #1 of the only seven letters used to make this puzzle |
| 60% | SIR | 3 | How every letter to The Economist begins |
| 60% | ANDY | 4 | "Toy Story" boy ... or, with the circled letters, a hint to 20-, 39- and 53-Across |
| 60% | ADVANCEDDEGREES | 15 | Post-college goals, e.g., or a hint to what the starred answers are progressively "awarded" |
| 60% | STRAIGHTEDGES | 13 | Rulers, e.g. ... or what the letters in 3-, 7-, 27- and 34-Down all have |