| 100% | MANHATTAN | 9 | Red variety of this puzzle's circles |
| 81% | NEWENGLAND | 10 | White variety of this puzzle's circles |
| 63% | CHEERLEADER | 11 | Shouter of this puzzle's circled sounds |
| 61% | VERTEX | 6 | What each of this puzzle's circled squares represents |
| 59% | FIFTHWHEEL | 10 | Awkward presence on a double date . . . like each of this puzzle’s circled letters? |
| 58% | FISH | 4 | With 11-Down, what each of this puzzle's groups of circles represents |
| 58% | INONESENSE | 10 | Description of this puzzle's circled letters, and a clue to what they spell |
| 57% | FALLINGDOWN | 11 | Like the contents of this puzzle's circled squares, in a nursery rhyme |
| 57% | TWO | 3 | Approximate shape of this puzzle's white squares ... and a synonym of the circled letters |
| 56% | CLAMBERS | 8 | Ascends awkwardly, and an anagram of this puzzle's circled word |
| 55% | CARINTERIORS | 12 | Passenger compartments, and an apt description of this puzzle's circles |
| 55% | DOUBLEO | 7 | Feature of this puzzle's circled squares that, when connected by a single line, visually represents 111-Across |
| 55% | HELLBENT | 8 | Totally determined, and a literal description of this puzzle's circled letters |
| 54% | TARA | 4 | Author Westover whose memoir is spelled out in the first letters of this puzzle's eight circled schools |
| 53% | DAYBREAK | 8 | First light ... or a phenomenon suggested by this puzzle's seven sets of circled letters? |
| 53% | TOMATO | 6 | Beefsteak is a variety of this red salad fruit |
| 53% | MAKINGAPACT | 11 | Formally agreeing to terms, and what this puzzle's sets of circled letters are gradually doing |
| 52% | COINS | 5 | Items that can circulate or be tossed ... as illustrated in this puzzle's six sets of circles |
| 52% | FALLINGRAIN | 11 | Downpour, or when parsed another way, what can be found in this puzzle's sets of circles |
| 52% | CENTERSTAGE | 11 | Limelight site, and a hint to the positions of this puzzle's circled names |
| 51% | SPILLTHETEA | 11 | "Give me some gossip!" ... and a hint to this puzzle's sets of circles, which affect four Across answers |
| 50% | HENRYKISSINGER | 14 | Speaker of this puzzle's quip |
| 50% | NBA | 3 | Subj. of this puzzle's theme |
| 50% | JEFFERSON | 9 | Author of this puzzle's quote |
| 50% | WINELOVER | 9 | Connoisseur of this puzzle's subject |
| 50% | LACKINGSYMMETRY | 15 | Descriptive of this puzzle's grid |
| 50% | FILM | 4 | Medium of this puzzle's theme |
| 50% | EVERYENTRYTHATS | 15 | Explanation of this puzzle's theme ... |
| 50% | NAVY | 4 | Source of this puzzle's theme |
| 50% | CLUE | 4 | One of this puzzle's 144 |