| 100% | DISAPPEARINGINK | 15 | Medium for secret messages, and a hint to making sense of 12 Down answers |
| 56% | IRONCLAD | 8 | Unbreakable, and a hint to making sense of seven answers in this puzzle |
| 53% | RAINOUT | 7 | Ballpark bummer, and a hint to making sense of the starred answers |
| 50% | POPUPAD | 7 | Bit of Web clutter, and a hint to making sense of four answers in this puzzle |
| 50% | PIGOUT | 6 | Ingurgitate, and a hint to making sense of the starred clues |
| 49% | RINGSIDE | 8 | Choice seating at a boxing match, and a hint to making sense of the peripheral answers |
| 47% | FLOWER | 6 | Garden sight, and, if reparsed, a hint to making sense of 10 answers in this puzzle |
| 47% | COUP | 4 | Overthrow, or, if reparsed, a hint to making sense of four pairs of Across answers |
| 47% | PRAISE | 6 | Express approval of, and, if reparsed, a hint to making sense of five pairs of answers |
| 45% | ANDCUT | 6 | Director's call, plus a hint to making sense of eight Across answers |
| 43% | ADDUP | 5 | Make sense, and a hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 43% | CONNECTSTHEDOTS | 15 | Makes sense of a situation ... and, literally, what the quartet of answers to starred clues does |
| 43% | GETBENTOUTOFSHA | 15 | Blow a gasket, and a clue to making sense of some answers in this puzzle |
| 42% | TRIMTHETREE | 11 | Decorate for Christmas, in a way, and how to make sense of the answer to each starred clue? |
| 42% | FALLINGLEAVES | 13 | Autumn occurrence, and a hint to the start of the other four longest Down answers |
| 40% | RISINGSEALEVELS | 15 | One effect of global warming, and a hint to the five longest Down answers |
| 40% | SIDEEYE | 7 | Scornful glance ... and a hint to completing 12 aptly placed answers |
| 40% | BEADYEYES | 9 | Ratlike feature, and a hint to a feature of the four starred answers |
| 40% | OPENINGBELL | 11 | Exchange ringer, and a hint to the first words of the starred answers |
| 40% | BEDHEAD | 7 | Mussed hair upon waking, and a hint to the circled starts of answers |
| 39% | LEGUP | 5 | Boost, and a hint to four of this puzzle's answers |
| 39% | INREVERSE | 9 | Backwards, and a hint to four of this puzzle's answers |
| 39% | EXCHANGERATES | 13 | Money-converting numbers, and a hint to the last words of the starred answers |
| 39% | XMARKSTHESPOT | 13 | Treasure-indicating phrase, and a hint to the first words of the starred answers |
| 39% | NOWYOUSEEITNOWYOUDONT | 21 | Magic words ... and a hint to four side-by-side pairs of puzzle answers |
| 39% | CIRCLESBACK | 11 | Brings up a prior topic … or a hint to making sense of the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| 39% | CRISES | 6 | Dire situations, and, if reparsed, a clue to making sense of six pairs of Across answers |
| 39% | UPSIDEDOWNCAKES | 15 | Pastry chef creations ... and a hint to 12 other answers in this puzzle |
| 38% | BACKBOARD | 9 | Hoop holder, and a hint to the first four letters of each asterisked answer |
| 38% | BACKROOM | 8 | Where shady deals may be made, and a hint to the ends of the starred answers |