| 100% | NOID | 4 | Reason the bartender might refuse service to a young-looking 25 year old |
| 31% | SYNE | 4 | "Auld Lang ___" (song sung as a farewell to the old year) |
| 31% | SWIMMINGPOOL | 12 | You might dip a 25-Down in this to test the water |
| 31% | ISITART | 7 | Question one might ask when looking at a banana taped to the wall |
| 30% | COUNTDOWN | 9 | What might end the year, and a hint to five answers in this puzzle |
| 30% | LATECALL | 8 | "But he forgot to place the order - we may be looking at a ___ here, folks" |
| 29% | OWIE | 4 | How your three year old might describe the spot you slapped a Paw Patrol Band-Aid on after pulling out the sliver |
| 28% | FETCH | 5 | What a dog may do to the last parts of 17- and 51-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 28% | ABCS | 4 | The letters, to a young child |
| 28% | ABCS | 4 | The alphabet, to a young child |
| 28% | LEADINGQUESTION | 15 | It's designed to elicit a certain answer ... or where the end of 17-, 25- and 47-Across may be found |
| 27% | MANHOOD | 7 | What a young buck might want to prove |
| 27% | DADAS | 5 | Old men, to the very young |
| 27% | DEBTS | 5 | Reasons to look for a shark? |
| 27% | EILISH | 6 | At 18, the youngest person to sweep the four main Grammy categories (Song, Album, Record, Best New Artist) in a single year |
| 27% | SIREN | 5 | Reason to look in a rear-view mirror |
| 27% | CURATE | 6 | To look over the items in a collection |
| 26% | LENDL | 5 | Tennis champ Ivan who lost to a young Michael Chang at the 1989 French Open |
| 26% | SORE | 4 | ___ loser (one who might refuse to shake the winner's hand) |
| 26% | LESION | 6 | Word derived from the Latin word for injury that my six year old might refer to as a "boo-boo" |
| 26% | VETO | 4 | Refuse to sign into law, as a governor might |
| 26% | BOYCOTT | 7 | To refuse using a service or buying a product |
| 26% | CHER | 4 | The oldest woman to have a #1 Billboard hit |
| 26% | BOYCOTTED | 9 | Protested by refusing to use a service |
| 26% | ANNUALEXAM | 10 | Reason for a yearly visit to the doctor’s office |
| 26% | COWCATCHERS | 11 | Old locomotive parts, and a hint to the starred answers |
| 26% | DECISION | 8 | A tied fight may go to the judges for a __ |
| 26% | FRANCHISE | 9 | The right to sell a company's services or products |
| 26% | ONION | 5 | It may bring a tear to the eye |
| 26% | LINERNOTE | 9 | It may be a credit to the band |