| 100% | CORNERBARS | 10 | Local watering holes, and a hint to a word that can follow eight of this puzzle's peripheral answers |
| 48% | BACKTRACK | 9 | Reverse a position, and a hint to what can follow the first words of the starred answers |
| 48% | DOUBLESPACE | 11 | Word processing option, and a hint to what can follow the words of the starred answers |
| 47% | DOUBLETIME | 10 | Holiday pay rate, perhaps, and a hint to what can follow each word of each starred answer |
| 46% | GREATWALL | 9 | Landmark that, in a way, is a border feature of this puzzle and a hint to what's missing from 10 answers |
| 46% | LEGUP | 5 | Boost, and a hint to four of this puzzle's answers |
| 46% | INREVERSE | 9 | Backwards, and a hint to four of this puzzle's answers |
| 45% | JUMP | 4 | Word that can precede each set of circled letters, forming a literal hint for entering certain answers in this puzzle |
| 45% | HARDEDGED | 9 | Gritty ... and a description of this puzzle, which is also a hint to completing eight answers |
| 45% | INTHEHOLE | 9 | Warning before a detonation ... and a hint to 16 of this puzzle's answers |
| 45% | SPILLTHETEA | 11 | "Give me some gossip!" ... and a hint to this puzzle's sets of circles, which affect four Across answers |
| 45% | WHEREARTTHOU | 12 | Question that follows "O Brother" in film ... and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 44% | LOVEISALLAROUND | 15 | 1968 hit for the Troggs, and a hint to what can precede this puzzle's perimeter words |
| 44% | ROUGH | 5 | With 38- and 49-Across, unrefined, and a hint to what can precede this puzzle's border words |
| 44% | HEARTED | 7 | Word that can follow the starts of 11 answers in this puzzle |
| 44% | STOP | 4 | Word on a red sign, and, when parsed in three parts, a hint to this puzzle's longest answers |
| 44% | MARKETOPENING | 13 | What ringing a certain bell signals, and a hint to the first words of this puzzle's movie titles |
| 43% | TWOSTATESOLUTION | 16 | Topic of international negotiations ... and a hint to every four-letter answer in this puzzle |
| 43% | BREAKTHESOUNDBARRIER | 20 | Hit Mach I … or a hint to answering eight pairs of consecutive entries in this puzzle |
| 43% | NOWYOUSEEITNOWYOUDONT | 21 | Magic words ... and a hint to four side-by-side pairs of puzzle answers |
| 43% | ALLBETSAREOFF | 13 | "Anything might happen," and a hint to eight answers in this puzzle |
| 43% | ALLFORONEANDONEFORALL | 21 | Famous rallying cry … and a hint to eight other answers in this puzzle |
| 43% | PH/FONETICALLY | 14 | Middle of the quip ... and a hint to eight squares in this puzzle |
| 43% | IRONCLAD | 8 | Unbreakable, and a hint to making sense of seven answers in this puzzle |
| 43% | BOOKENDS | 8 | Simon & Garfunkel album, and a hint to what can precede and follow the halves of the starred answers |
| 42% | POPUPAD | 7 | Bit of Web clutter, and a hint to making sense of four answers in this puzzle |
| 42% | ADVANCETEAMS | 12 | Groups that do prep work ahead of an event, and a directive followed by this puzzle's theme answers? |
| 42% | TRIPOLI | 7 | Capital of Libya, and a phonetic hint to a feature of this puzzle's four longest answers |
| 42% | KEEPITPG | 8 | "Tone down that PDA, there are kids around," and a hint to five answers in this puzzle |
| 42% | SKIPPER | 7 | Ship's captain, informally, and a hint to help you to understand five answers in this puzzle |