| 100% | STAPLERS | 8 | Office supplies, or, minus a letter, a supplier of them |
| 51% | THUGS | 5 | Toughs ... or an anagram of TOUGHS minus a letter |
| 46% | POSTITNOTES | 11 | Sticky yellow squares ... or a description of the circled letters and what they follow? |
| 42% | LEGS | 4 | A grand piano or a tripod has three of them |
| 42% | RESERVOIR | 9 | A supply or source of something |
| 41% | SPF | 3 | Letters preceding "15" or "30" on a bottle of sunscreen |
| 41% | SPF | 3 | Letters before "15" or "30" on a bottle of sunscreen |
| 40% | BODY | 4 | Main part of a letter or essay |
| 40% | SEGA | 4 | Company whose name, aptly, is an anagram of GAMES minus a letter |
| 39% | OWL | 3 | Type of fowl, or "fowl" minus one letter |
| 39% | MUD | 3 | Kind of pie, or change a letter in 18d to get the answer |
| 39% | BABYTOY | 7 | A set of blocks . . . or the box they came in, perhaps |
| 39% | PARAS | 5 | Parts of an essay or a letter, for short |
| 39% | WORD | 4 | Part of a sentence, or change a letter in 22a to get the answer |
| 38% | MIDDLECLASS | 11 | Bourgeoisie ... or a description of each group of circled letters? |
| 38% | DAYS | 4 | There are 365 or 366 of them in a year |
| 38% | CAPITAL | 7 | Of importance, like a city or uppercase letter |
| 38% | FOURWAYSTOPS | 12 | They can make you take turns, and a description of the circled letters |
| 38% | REDSTATES | 9 | They're right on an election map … or a description of 17-Across? |
| 38% | CENTERFIELD | 11 | Baseball position ... or a description of each group of circled letters? |
| 38% | ALLELBOWS | 9 | Awkwardly lanky ... or a description of this answer's shaded letters? |
| 38% | FILTERS | 7 | They tint or change the resolution of a photo |
| 37% | RSAILSPLITTER | 13 | Another nickname for Old Abe ... or a description of the circled letter? |
| 37% | ERRAND | 6 | Mailing a letter or picking up a quart of milk, e.g. |
| 37% | CHARACTERARCS | 13 | Heroes' journeys, say ... or a description of this answer's shaded letters? |
| 37% | HTTP | 4 | Letters at the beginning of a URL or web address |
| 37% | SIR | 3 | "Dear ___ or Madam" (start of a business letter) |
| 37% | CUSTODIAN | 9 | Employee of a school or office who cleans |
| 37% | DESK | 4 | Piece of furniture in a classroom or office |
| 37% | SPINNINGTOPS | 12 | You can make them take turns, and a description of the circled letters |