| 100% | BACKBURNER | 10 | Place for a nonurgent issue, and what can be found at the end of 16-, 24-, 37-, or 53- Across? |
| 51% | SIDESALAD | 9 | Dish that may accompany a main course, and what can be found at the start of 17-, 25-, 38-, or 53-Across? |
| 48% | MOCKTAIL | 8 | Nonalcoholic mixed drink … or a hint to the synonyms found at the ends of 16-, 24-, 37- and 51-Across |
| 48% | BALLPARKFIGURES | 15 | Rough estimates, and what can be found at the ends of 17-, 25-, 52-, and 62-Across |
| 47% | FOURQUARTERS | 12 | Change for a dollar, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 45% | DOGTAGS | 7 | Military IDs on chains, and what can be found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 44% | WATERBREAK | 10 | Time for a drink at the gym... or what can literally be seen in 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across |
| 44% | FIVEGUYS | 8 | Hamburger franchise, and what can be found at the starts of 17-, 24-, 30-, 41-, and 48-Across |
| 44% | AFEWCHOICEWORDS | 15 | Euphemism for rude expressions, and what can be found at the starts of 17-, 26-, and 48-Across |
| 44% | HIGHDEFINITION | 14 | Like most televisions, and what can be found at the start of 20-, 36-, or 46-Across |
| 43% | WORKMATE | 8 | Colleague ... and, when preceded by "the," what the end of 16-, 24-, 37- or 50-Across is |
| 43% | COLLECTORSITEMS | 15 | Things gathered by aficionados ... or what the ends of 16-, 24-, 49- and 59-Across can be? |
| 42% | CHER | 4 | Singer/actress whose name can be found at the ends of 17-, 31-, and 43-Across |
| 41% | ITSGROWINGONME | 14 | "I wasn't sure at first, but ...," or what could be said about the ends of 16-, 26-, and 44-Across? |
| 41% | MARTIANMISSIONS | 15 | NASA endeavors whose vehicles can be found at the ends of 17-, 22-, 51- and 57-Across |
| 41% | WILDFLOWERS | 11 | Colorful elements of a meadow, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 40% | ICH | 3 | German pronoun that can be found at the end of "which" or "ostrich" |
| 39% | AGE | 3 | *Birthday candle count...or a word that can be found at the end of 16a, 18a, 21a, 31a, 43a, 35d, and 40d |
| 39% | PRETZEL | 7 | Salty snack whose varieties are found at the ends of 18-, 24-, 52- and 61-Across |
| 38% | WORDOFMOUTH | 11 | What rumors are spread by … or a hint to the ends of 16-, 29-, 35-/37- and 45-Across |
| 38% | SNAKEHEAD | 9 | Predatory fish capable of crawling on land, or what each part of 16-, 24-, 37- and 53-Across can be |
| 38% | EYEOPENER | 9 | Revelation, or what can be found at the starts of the starred answers |
| 37% | HEADSTART | 9 | Advantage in a race, and what can be found in 16-, 33-, or 40-Across |
| 37% | KEYS | 4 | PC things, which can be found at the starts of 14-, 22-, 37-, 46- and 61-Across |
| 37% | POTOFGOLD | 9 | What is said to be found at the end of a rainbow |
| 37% | BOOK | 4 | What you find in a library, or a word which can be used at the start of 20a, 25a, 35a, 48a, 55a, 31d, and 45d |
| 37% | TONGUETIED | 10 | At a loss for words, and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 38- and 47-Across can literally be? |
| 36% | BLUEJEANS | 9 | Casual pants (brands of which can be found at the starts of 16-Across, 27-Across, and 35-Across) (2 wds.) |
| 36% | OFFTHEWALL | 10 | Bizarre, and what the ends of 16-, 22-, 37-, and 49-Across are when redecorating |
| 36% | FATHERFIGURES | 13 | Some male role models, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues |