| 100% | AQUATIC | 7 | Like the five animals in this puzzle's theme |
| 58% | MISSING | 7 | Like the letter O in this puzzle’s entire solution |
| 55% | BLACK | 5 | With 41- and 43-Across, cop cruiser ... or a description of the five animals named in this puzzle |
| 55% | ZIP | 3 | Each of the numbers in this puzzle's theme |
| 55% | USMAP | 5 | Inspiration for the jokes in this puzzle's theme |
| 50% | FALLINGDOWN | 11 | Like the contents of this puzzle's circled squares, in a nursery rhyme |
| 50% | BOP | 3 | Catchy song, slangily, like the ones mentioned in the theme of this puzzle |
| 49% | PLANET | 6 | Item in this puzzle's theme |
| 49% | EAGLE | 5 | Score in this puzzle's theme |
| 49% | FERMI | 5 | Pioneer in this puzzle's theme |
| 49% | RITAMORENO | 10 | Onetime winner of all the awards in this puzzle's theme |
| 48% | BALANCHINE | 10 | George, in this puzzle's theme |
| 48% | ERA | 3 | Time, in this puzzle's theme |
| 48% | NOTUPTOPAR | 10 | Like the duffer in this puzzle? |
| 48% | CEE | 3 | Letter switched to ess in this puzzle's theme |
| 48% | ETC | 3 | Hidden element in this puzzle's theme |
| 48% | GHOST | 5 | Spirit featured in this puzzle's theme |
| 48% | FRESHSTART | 10 | New beginning, as spelled by the new beginnings in this puzzle's theme answers |
| 48% | ROCKSET | 7 | Description of this puzzle's theme answers, sounding like "The Look" singers? |
| 48% | GROOMERS | 8 | Service providers needed for the five pets in this puzzle |
| 47% | HAUNTED | 7 | Like this puzzle's theme? |
| 47% | PEOPLEOFNOTE | 12 | Luminaries like the eight featured in this puzzle? (hint: look at their first few letters) |
| 47% | SNOWMEN | 7 | Winter figures, made from the "bonus" letters in this puzzle's theme answers |
| 47% | DECISIONFATIGUE | 15 | Modern term for the psychological exhaustion showcased in this puzzle's theme |
| 47% | BLANK | 5 | Fill in the ___ (a hint to this puzzle's theme) |
| 47% | MATHTEACHER | 11 | Someone well versed in this puzzle's theme |
| 46% | MAGI | 4 | Wise guys featured in this puzzle's theme answers |
| 46% | TRAPPED | 7 | Confined, like five letters in this puzzle that spell an apt word |
| 46% | TEEDOFF | 7 | Steamed ... and like five answers in this puzzle? |
| 45% | BIGGIRLSDONTCRY | 15 | 1962 #1 hit by the group hinted at in this puzzle's theme |