| 100% | BLOWOUT | 7 | Like when Villarreal beat Navata by 27 to zip in 2009; and this is soccer! |
| 36% | SPIRAL | 6 | When preceded by [the circled letters], natural shape said to be seen in 61-Across and 27-Down |
| 32% | JIG | 3 | This was changed to Juliette in 1956 when the NATO Phonetic Alphabet was adopted by the US |
| 29% | RUDOLPH | 7 | Who's depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A |
| 29% | GREAT | 5 | With 27-, 49- and 66-Across, phrase applicable to five innovations in this puzzle (as suggested by the starred clues) |
| 28% | FBIAGENTS | 9 | Govt. employees encoded by the nine other longest across entries in this puzzle ... and who might be called in to decode them |
| 27% | PERSONALIZED | 12 | Like this puzzle, when 36-Across is filled in |
| 27% | TIE | 3 | In soccer, this could be broken by penalty kicks |
| 27% | SET | 3 | Venn diagrams are used by mathematicians to show relationships between this item and any number of like items |
| 27% | ATOMICPILE | 10 | The first one of these was built by Fermi and his team in 1942 |
| 27% | HOTWATER | 8 | When you're in trouble you're said to be in this |
| 26% | BOX | 3 | Container (and, in a way, what you will find outlined by this year's clues related to the mega-meta) |
| 26% | NODOFF | 6 | At midnight when I'm still writing clues for the puzzle that absolutely has to be in Florida by 8:00 am, I have a tendency to do this |
| 26% | HALLOFFAME | 10 | This dedication to US Space Walking astronauts and equipment contractors is by the Indian R. in Titusville, FL. |
| 26% | VCR | 3 | The first commercial one of these was introduced by Ampex in 1956 and cost roughly $50,000 |
| 26% | INOVERTIME | 10 | When some contests are resolved, and a hint to ending this puzzle's theme answers |
| 26% | KILL | 4 | "Dressed to ___," 2009 song by Preston which was covered by Cher in 2013 |
| 26% | INSIDETHELINES | 14 | Tidy way to color … and where seven words are hiding in this puzzle? |
| 25% | BUY | 3 | ___.com, second e-commerce site behind Amazon in 2009, was purchased by and rebranded as Rakuten in 2010 |
| 25% | HANDS | 5 | Two of these are needed to type every answer here except 17- & 59-Across and 11- & 27-Down |
| 25% | BUTTON | 6 | ___ Soccer, simulation game that also goes by "futebol de mesa" and is popular in Brazil |
| 25% | KEEPITBETWEENUS | 15 | "Let this be our little secret" … or a hint to letter sequences hidden in 16-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 25% | JAM | 3 | In Russia and Georgia, pine cones are made into this which is believed to ease asthma, bronchitis |
| 25% | BERRA | 5 | Athlete who said "I looked like this when I was young, and I still do" |
| 25% | TIMES | 5 | "___ Like These," 2003 song by Foo Fighters that was featured in the TV series "One Tree Hill" |
| 25% | HANGOVER | 8 | "Love ___," 1976 song by Diana Ross that was featured in shows like "Mad Men" and "Pose" |
| 25% | PARADISELOST | 12 | John Milton epic, and a hint to how four long answers in this puzzle were formed |
| 25% | INASCRABBLEGAME | 15 | With 30- and 49-Across, test question to be answered by filling in the correct circle |
| 25% | ORGAN | 5 | Tommy, lead guitarist in The Jacksons' "Unity Tour" of 2012 and 2013, who would seem to be playing the wrong instrument, judging by his name |
| 24% | JOHNGRISHAMNOVEL | 16 | What the first word of each of seven answers in this puzzle is, when preceded by “The” |