| 100% | HAPPYFACE | 9 | Response to solving this puzzle |
| 72% | ANAGRAMTHE | 10 | Trap #1 to solving this puzzle |
| 72% | USEYOURNOODLE | 13 | Best way to solve this puzzle |
| 72% | TENPM | 5 | Appropriate time to solve this puzzle? |
| 71% | POPINJAYS | 9 | Coxcombs (and a hint to solving this puzzle) |
| 70% | FREEASSOCIATION | 15 | How to solve this puzzle's starred clues |
| 70% | UTURN | 5 | One of four required to solve this puzzle |
| 69% | AIRLIFTS | 8 | Some special deliveries, and a hint to solving this puzzle |
| 69% | CROPROTATION | 12 | Common farming technique ... or a hint to solving this puzzle |
| 67% | CHANGETHESUBJECT | 16 | Switch topics, and a hint to solving this puzzle's theme answers |
| 67% | FOLLOWDIRECTIONS | 16 | What one must do using the circled letters to solve this puzzle |
| 66% | PARESDOWN | 9 | Gradually trims … or a phonetic second hint to solving this puzzle's theme |
| 66% | CROSS | 5 | With 57-Across, what you must do four times to solve this puzzle |
| 65% | PICTUREIT | 9 | Tip to solving this puzzle (with the key parts to be said out loud) |
| 64% | DOWN | 4 | Look ___ (advice on how to solve this puzzle contest, assuming you're not solving on paper) |
| 64% | BAHHOMBURG | 10 | Hat-hater's response to this puzzle? |
| 63% | TMI | 3 | Response to oversharing found in this puzzle's starred answers |
| 62% | DROPABEAT | 9 | Trick to solving the shaded answers in this puzzle |
| 61% | KNOCKOUTGAS | 11 | Incapacitating agent of pulp detective and sci-fi novels ... and a hint to solving this puzzle's starred clues |
| 59% | LOL | 3 | Response to a funny text, and a hint to this puzzle's five longest answers |
| 59% | ITSDISCONNECTED | 15 | "Check the plug!" (and a hint to solving four rows in this puzzle) |
| 59% | DROPZONE | 8 | Certain delivery location, and a hint to solving six answers in this puzzle |
| 58% | OUTSIDETHEBOX | 13 | How you have to think to solve this puzzle |
| 58% | YOU | 3 | Who's solving this puzzle |
| 58% | YOU | 3 | Who is solving this puzzle |
| 58% | YOU | 3 | The person solving this puzzle |
| 57% | PUT2AND2TOGETHER | 16 | Solve this puzzle |
| 57% | CONDENSEDMILK | 13 | Ingredient of sweetened Thai tea, and a hint to solving some squares in this puzzle |
| 57% | FRUITLESSLY | 11 | How I hope you don't try to solve most contest crosswords...except this puzzle |
| 56% | EIEIO | 5 | Refrain from solving this puzzle? |