| 100% | SNL | 3 | NBC fixture fond of wordplay, and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's spoonerisms |
| 57% | TUESDAY | 7 | Part of a calendar septet, and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 57% | ESPYAWARDS | 10 | Honors for athletes, and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 57% | ELSIE | 5 | Borden cow ... and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's four longest answers |
| 56% | ARGON | 5 | About 1% of Earth's atmosphere, and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's gimmick |
| 55% | TRIPOLI | 7 | Capital of Libya, and a phonetic hint to a feature of this puzzle's four longest answers |
| 52% | NOWISE | 6 | Without any chance at all (and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme) |
| 52% | HERESWHY | 8 | "Allow me to explain," and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 51% | NOUSE | 5 | Pointless, or a phonetic hint to five of this puzzle's long answers |
| 50% | HOLYCOW | 7 | "Wow!" ... or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 49% | MEETINTHEMIDDLE | 15 | Compromise ... or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's shaded squares |
| 49% | BEQUIET | 7 | "Shut up!" ... or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 49% | AGELESS | 7 | Eternal, and a hint to this puzzle's phonetic theme |
| 49% | H2O | 3 | Fire fighter, familiarly … or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 49% | SEACREATURE | 11 | Aquatic denizen … or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's circled words |
| 48% | SHIFTYEYES | 10 | Sign of deceit, and a phonetic hint to four puzzle answers |
| 47% | ALLEYESONME | 11 | "Pay close attention to what I'm doing," and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 47% | THIRDEYEBLIND | 13 | Band with the 1997 hit "Semi-Charmed Life" … or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 47% | WRONGWAY | 8 | Sign of misdirection, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters |
| 47% | TURNCOAT | 8 | Traitor, and a literal hint to this puzzle's circles |
| 47% | SEE | 3 | With 70- and 71-Across, agree ... and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 46% | TREERINGS | 9 | Indicators of age ... and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 46% | TWINFALLS | 9 | City of southern Idaho, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 46% | BORDERDISPUTE | 13 | Root of territorial conflict, and a hint to this puzzle's perimeter |
| 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% | INTHEDARK | 9 | Wild guess, and a hint to four of this puzzle's squares |
| 45% | IBEFOREE | 8 | Part of a spelling rule, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 44% | WRAPSUP | 7 | Finishes, and a hint to the sets of circled letters in this puzzle |
| 44% | IRONCLAD | 8 | Unbreakable, and a hint to making sense of seven answers in this puzzle |