| 100% | RINSECYCLE | 10 | Part of washing ... or what's exhibited by the circled letters from top to bottom |
| 41% | BIGDIPPER | 9 | Part of 17-Across ... and what the circles from A to G depict |
| 40% | PATHTOVICTORY | 13 | Election night calculation ... or what's traced by the circled letters |
| 39% | WARMINGUP | 9 | Getting ready to exercise ... or what the words composed of circled letters are doing when read from left to right? |
| 38% | BACKCHANNEL | 11 | Covert means of communication ... or what's hiding in the circled letters? |
| 37% | SMILEYFACE | 10 | What's formed by the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 36% | OFFONALARK | 10 | What's depicted by the circled letters in 41-/49-Across |
| 35% | THREE | 5 | With the circled letters, a literal depiction of what you need to win tic-tac-toe? |
| 35% | WORD | 4 | Part of a sentence, or change a letter in 22a to get the answer |
| 35% | STRINGQUARTET | 13 | Classical music group ... or what the four sets of circled letters make up? |
| 35% | GOINCIRCLES | 11 | *Be repetitive ... or what parts of the answers to the starred clues do? |
| 35% | CUTTINGTHECARDS | 15 | Part of a blackjack dealer's ritual … or what this answer is doing vis-à-vis the answers to the starred clues |
| 34% | OUTANDOUT | 9 | Complete, or what can follow both parts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 34% | HEADFIRST | 9 | Impetuously ... or what can go on each part of the answer to each starred clue? |
| 34% | DEADEND | 7 | Cul-de-sac ... or what either part of the answer to each starred clue is? |
| 34% | LEADDOGS | 8 | Iditarod front-runners ... or what both parts of the answers to starred clues can do? |
| 34% | TIRE | 4 | Bad thing to blow ... or what each of the circled letters in this puzzle represents |
| 34% | DEADHEAD | 8 | Jerry Garcia fan ... or what each part of the answers to the starred clues can take |
| 34% | OPENDOOR | 8 | Welcoming symbol ... or what each part of the answers to the six starred clues can do? |
| 34% | HALFANDHALF | 11 | Coffee creamer option, or what can precede both parts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 33% | FINALE | 6 | What's spelled by the last letters of the six long Across phrases |
| 33% | BRADS | 5 | Fasteners ... or, if you change the fourth letter to an S, what the fasteners might be made of |
| 33% | SILENTNIGHT | 11 | Song of 1859 ... or what the five circled letters represent? |
| 32% | FAREWELL | 8 | ___ Address, letter written by George Washington as a parting message to the citizens of USA |
| 32% | TAKEITDOWNANOTCH | 16 | Reduce one’s excitement slightly ... or what you have to do to the final letter of five long answers in this puzzle? |
| 32% | UPKEY | 5 | What's used to scroll to the top of a window |
| 32% | CONGRATULATIONS | 15 | First part of a message suggested by this puzzle's circled letters |
| 32% | LIGHTNINGBOLT | 13 | What's formed by connecting this puzzle's circled letters from A to F and then back to A |
| 32% | WORDOFMOUTH | 11 | What rumors are spread by … or a hint to the ends of 16-, 29-, 35-/37- and 45-Across |
| 32% | WOODSTOCK | 9 | Aquarian event at Yasgur's farm, and a hint to what's formed by the circled letters |