| 100% | PICKMEUP | 8 | Morale booster ... or words that might suggest the arrival of one of the circled words |
| 49% | JOKE | 4 | Word that may follow the start of 20-, 25-, 44- or 50-Across |
| 49% | POT | 3 | Word that may precede the beginning of 17-, 26-, 42- or 56-Across |
| 43% | BUT | 3 | Word that might undermine the sincerity of an apology |
| 41% | BAA | 3 | Word repeated before "black sheep," in a nursery rhyme that may be one of the first poems you learned |
| 41% | DIE | 3 | Word that appears in the titles of three Bond films (or four, if you count one ending in “s”) |
| 40% | LEGEND | 6 | Folklore tale, or word that starts with the name of a walking limb |
| 40% | THONGS | 6 | Word that might refer to pairs of underwear or pairs of shoes |
| 40% | BACK | 4 | Word that can follow the start of 20-, 38- or 50-Across |
| 40% | HOUSE | 5 | Word that can follow the end of 21-, 33-, 43- or 56-Across |
| 40% | PIPE | 4 | Word that can follow the end of 18-, 27-, 46- or 61-Across |
| 40% | FRENCH | 6 | Word that can precede the start of 20-, 35-, 43- or 58-Across |
| 39% | WAR | 3 | Word that can follow the start of 15-, 18-, 34-, 48- or 55-Across |
| 39% | MARK | 4 | Word that can follow the end of 17-, 23-, 37-, 48- or 60-Across |
| 39% | MAN | 3 | Word that can follow the start of 18-, 24-, 38-, 53- or 61-Across |
| 39% | DYE | 3 | Substance that might change the color of your hair or your food |
| 39% | KAY | 3 | Mary ___ cosmetics... or word that sounds like the last letter of 25a |
| 39% | EYE | 3 | Gaze holder... or word that sounds like the third letter of 25a |
| 39% | STAR | 4 | Word that might precede Trek or Wars at the movies |
| 39% | CAKE | 4 | Word that can follow the end of 16-, 22-, 31-, 40-, 45- or 56-Across |
| 39% | MIDDLEAGE | 9 | Crisis time, for some ... or a hint to each of the circled words |
| 39% | SEA | 3 | Vast salty stretch... or word that sounds like the fourth letter of 25a |
| 39% | YOU | 3 | "___ gotta be kidding?"... or word that sounds like the second letter of 25a |
| 38% | CORN | 4 | Word that can precede the start of 17- or 54-Across or 11- or 27-Down |
| 38% | GHOST | 5 | Word game ... or a word that can precede the starts of 18-, 26-, 43- and 54-Across |
| 38% | FIRST | 5 | Word that may precede the initial parts of 17- and 62-Across and 9- and 33-Down |
| 38% | GETA | 4 | Words that may precede the first words of 18-, 40- and 62-Across and 3- and 32-Down |
| 38% | HAND | 4 | Word that may precede the first parts of 17-, 37- and 61-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 37% | PICKUP | 6 | Learn ... or a word that can precede the ends of 20-, 29-, 44- and 53-Across |
| 37% | TANLINE | 7 | One might trace the edge of a T-shirt sleeve or a bikini top |