| 100% | FABRICATE | 9 | Make up or invent a story to evade the truth |
| 38% | BASK | 4 | To enjoy a pleasant situation, or soak up the sun, say |
| 38% | AIR | 3 | "Up in the ___" (George Clooney film with the tagline "The story of a man ready to make a connection") |
| 38% | SITTING | 7 | __ on the fence, or refusing to make a decision |
| 38% | IMPROVISE | 9 | To make up on the spot, e.g. in acting or comedy |
| 37% | ABLE | 4 | Up to the task or a common suffix used with "agree" or "avail" |
| 36% | TOWN | 4 | Word that can follow Hades or Urine to make the title of a musical |
| 36% | OATH | 4 | A commitment to tell the truth |
| 36% | LIE | 3 | Make up, as a story |
| 36% | LIE | 3 | Make up a story |
| 36% | SPUN | 4 | Made up a story |
| 35% | CARBOLOADED | 11 | Fueled up before a big race, or a description of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 35% | LIE | 3 | Make up a story, maybe |
| 35% | LIE | 3 | Make up a story, say |
| 35% | LIE | 3 | Make up a cover story, say |
| 34% | LIE | 3 | Make up a whopper of a story |
| 34% | IMPROVISE | 9 | Make up a skit on the spot |
| 34% | ATALE | 5 | Spin __; make up a story |
| 34% | JUSTHAVINGABALL | 15 | Living it up ... or a hint to the six groups of circled letters |
| 34% | CIRCLESBACK | 11 | Brings up a prior topic … or a hint to making sense of the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| 34% | ITNEVERHAPPENED | 15 | “We made up the entire story” |
| 34% | TRUE | 4 | Not made up, as a story |
| 33% | HAIR | 4 | What makes up a beard or mustache |
| 33% | TOOLITTLETOOLATE | 16 | Not enough, and without the urgency, to make a difference … or a literal hint to 18-, 30-, 38- and 48-Across |
| 33% | RIPPEDABS | 9 | Many a gymgoer's goal … or what the starred clues in this puzzle must have for their answers to make sense? |
| 33% | EDIT | 4 | Make changes to a short story |
| 32% | MORAL | 5 | Conclusion of a story, or the learning from that |
| 32% | FLAB | 4 | What makes up a "spare tire" or "love handles" |
| 32% | SOUSA | 5 | John who invented a horn similar to the tuba |
| 32% | GRASS | 5 | What makes up the green cover of a field |