| 100% | WARM | 4 | Like some welcomes, or change a letter in 39a to get the answer |
| 67% | CORD | 4 | Telephone wire, or change a letter in 14a to get the answer |
| 67% | MAD | 3 | Extremely upset, or change a letter in 6d to get the answer |
| 66% | MUD | 3 | Kind of pie, or change a letter in 18d to get the answer |
| 65% | MUM | 3 | Close-mouthed, or change a letter in 27d to get the answer |
| 64% | WORD | 4 | Part of a sentence, or change a letter in 22a to get the answer |
| 59% | WARD | 4 | Third ___, area in Houston home to Beyonce or change a letter in 34a to get the answer |
| 44% | YEARONYEAR | 10 | Like some annual accounting comparisons, or what can be found in the answers to the starred clues |
| 43% | SWITCHEDONTHETV | 15 | Got ready to binge-watch ... or a hint to phonetic changes in four puzzle answers |
| 41% | NAMECARDS | 9 | Labels at a dinner party ... or a hint to the circled letters hidden in the theme answers? |
| 41% | BOOT | 4 | Change a letter to get the body part it goes on |
| 41% | DEER | 4 | Like a ___ in the headlights (get paralyzed due to fear or excitement) |
| 40% | FINALSWEEK | 10 | Period for taking exams ... or a hint to the pattern shown in the last three or four letters of the asterisked answers |
| 40% | FRUITFILLED | 11 | Like some flavorful pastries . . . or the answers to the starred clues? |
| 39% | BACKSTORY | 9 | Fictional past, or a hint to four-letter words found in the starred answers |
| 39% | ONEANDDONE | 10 | Like some NBA prospects, or like the answers to the starred clues |
| 39% | SPA | 3 | Place to get a facial or a dip in the jacuzzi |
| 38% | ONEEYED | 7 | Like a cyclops or some of the Minions in "Despicable Me": Hyph. |
| 37% | COMMANDTOADOGSLEDTEAM | 21 | Change a letter in 1-Across to spell... |
| 37% | GORE | 4 | Change a letter in 110-Across to spell... |
| 37% | WHATOLIVERTWISTWANTED | 21 | Change a letter in 85-Across to spell... |
| 37% | DOUBLEAGENT | 11 | Change a letter in 63-Across to spell... |
| 37% | STUBBORNBEAST | 13 | Change a letter in 46-Across to spell... |
| 37% | CLIOORERATO | 11 | Change a letter in 23-Across to spell... |
| 37% | LOSTART | 7 | Letter writing, they say ... or a hint to eight answers in this puzzle |
| 37% | OUTOFORDER | 10 | Like a nonfunctioning vending machine, or what the circled letters are, in two ways |
| 37% | DIVIDINGLINES | 13 | Some painting in a parking lot ... or a description of this answer's shaded letters? |
| 36% | NOWYOUSEEITNOWYOUDONT | 21 | Magic words … or a hint to the other long answers in this puzzle |
| 36% | CLOSEBUTNOCIGAR | 15 | "Not quite!," and what can be said about a letter string in the answer to each starred clue |
| 36% | SIDEARM | 7 | Like some baseball pitches ... and a hint to locating the second part of four three-part puzzle answers |