| 100% | WATER | 5 | Puzzle's theme (shown in 20-, 40-, 58-Across and 21-Down) |
| 46% | YOULL | 5 | With 21 Across, 3 Down, 8 Down, and 20 Down, response to Ralphie's request for a BB gun in "A Christmas Story" |
| 44% | SALT | 4 | Theme of this puzzle, found in the answers to 21-, 26-, 44- and 52-Across |
| 41% | JUMPING | 7 | With 58-Across, cardio exercise ... and what's hidden in three puzzle rows? |
| 38% | LEMONADEMIXES | 13 | Tart drink concentrates, or what's literally found in 20-, 34- and 40-Across |
| 38% | LONGDIVISION | 12 | Arithmetic exercise ... or what literally occurs in 20-, 33- and 40-Across? |
| 37% | BITINGPESTS | 11 | They're hidden in 21-, 31- and 40-Across |
| 37% | CROSS | 5 | What this puzzle's across and down answers do |
| 36% | STARTFROM | 9 | With 58-Across, what four Down answers in this puzzle do |
| 36% | HALF | 4 | With 38- and 40-Across, grocery purchase ... or what can be found in some other Across answers in this puzzle |
| 36% | MMM | 3 | "Delicious!" ... and a hint to every Across answer in this puzzle |
| 36% | BACK | 4 | Missing word in 21-, 31-, 40- and 50-Across, applied literally |
| 35% | PRO | 3 | Expert, and what's in motion in 1-, 20-, 40-, 57- and 71-Across |
| 35% | CROSSEDABEAR | 12 | Betrayed Paddington? … or what 20-, 34- and 41-Across did in this puzzle |
| 34% | CROSSWORDS | 10 | Puzzles with across and down clues |
| 34% | CARRIE | 6 | With 18-Across and 21-Down, National American Woman Suffrage Association president starting in 1900 |
| 34% | DOCTORS | 7 | With 36- and 40-Across, organization whose name hints at some missing letters in this puzzle |
| 34% | SNAPDECISION | 12 | Thing made in haste, or perhaps after the first words of 20-, 34- and 40-Across |
| 33% | CHOPPED | 7 | With 58-Across, salad fixings ... and what you'll find aptly hidden in puzzle rows 4, 6 and 10 |
| 33% | CHEESE | 6 | With 58-Across, savory base for a canapé ... and the function of a black square in four puzzle rows? |
| 33% | TIC | 3 | With 40- and 43-Across, game that's been played in each of this puzzle's corners |
| 33% | CAUGHTINTHERAIN | 15 | Surprised by a shower ... and a hint involving certain outer letters of 20-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 33% | WHITEHOUSEDOGS | 14 | What the starts of 21-, 26-, 40- and 50-Across are, for the presidents in their clues |
| 33% | RAINDROPS | 9 | Shower units, and a hint to three answers in this puzzle |
| 33% | APES | 4 | Animals found in 16-, 20-, 35-, 51- and 58-Across |
| 33% | STOCK | 5 | Word with more than 20 definitions in the Merriam-Webster dictionary ... and the theme of this puzzle |
| 32% | ONEEYE | 6 | Feature of 20-Across … and, when sounded out, a feature of today's puzzle (clues and all!) |
| 32% | CEES | 4 | They're hard in across answers and soft in down ones |
| 32% | AMESSAGEIN | 10 | With 38- and 56-Across, what's hidden in this puzzle |
| 32% | CEDILLA | 7 | Mark in the intersection of 58-Across and 43-Down |