| 100% | OWNER | 5 | Mom or pop of a mom-and-pop operation |
| 58% | INSEARCHOFLOSTLIME | 18 | Or "Remembrances of a Gin and Tonic Enthusiast"? |
| 58% | PARENTAL | 8 | Of Mom or Pop |
| 53% | BANDMATES | 9 | Fellow members of a rock or pop group |
| 53% | PORTRAIT | 8 | Head and shoulders painting or drawing of a person |
| 53% | MEL | 3 | A B or C of pop music? |
| 52% | EXECUTION | 9 | Enactment of a plan or operation |
| 51% | DISCIPLE | 8 | A student or follower of Jesus and his teachings |
| 50% | SYSTEM | 6 | A method of organization or operation |
| 50% | PTAMEETING | 10 | Mom-and-pop event … and a hint to the insides of 17- and 41-Across and 11- and 40-Down |
| 50% | PIZZABASE | 9 | The bottom of a Margherita or ham and pineapple |
| 50% | PROCESS | 7 | A series of continued actions or operations |
| 49% | CADENCE | 7 | The rising and falling beat of a poem or reading |
| 49% | BOLAS | 5 | Weapon made of two balls and a cord or chain |
| 48% | ADFEE | 5 | Cost of a pop-up or banner on a website (2 wds.) |
| 48% | KAONS | 5 | Particles consisting of a strange quark and an up or down antiquark |
| 47% | MIXEDBAG | 8 | Assortment ... or a description of 32-, 39- and 42-Across? |
| 47% | CHAPPELLROAN | 12 | Pop star with the 2023 début album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” |
| 47% | DOUGHBOYS | 9 | Podcast with reviews of chain restaurants and a regular "Snack or Wack" feature |
| 47% | CATCHPHRASE | 11 | Commonplace utterance ... or a description of 18-, 28- and 49-Across? |
| 47% | BEANDIP | 7 | Nacho accompaniment ... or a feature of 17-, 35- and 52-Across? |
| 47% | SPLITDECISION | 13 | Outcome of many a boxing match ... or 38- and 36-Down |
| 47% | PLAYSWITHFIRE | 13 | Tempts fate . . . or a description of 19-, 22-, and 39-Across |
| 47% | ROUGHSTART | 10 | Inauspicious beginning, or a feature of 17-, 24, and 47-Across |
| 47% | MADONNA | 7 | Queen of Pop and singer of Like a Prayer |
| 46% | COKEISIT | 8 | Pop slogan of 1982, and a hint to the starts of the starred answers |
| 46% | ONOMATOPOEIA | 12 | Formation of words imitating the sound of a noise, such as pop and whoosh |
| 46% | PARENT | 6 | Mom or pop |
| 46% | PARENTS | 7 | Mom and pop |
| 46% | BOYMEETSGIRL | 12 | Beginning of a rom-com ... or a description of 20-, 36- and 41-Across? |