| 100% | PLINYTHEELDER | 13 | Roman writer who came to a bad end by 20-Across |
| 37% | END | 3 | Come to a bad ___ (not finish well) |
| 37% | DOOMED | 6 | Heading to a bad end |
| 33% | PLINY | 5 | Roman writer who originated the phrase "with a grain of salt" |
| 33% | LAPSE | 5 | Come to an end, in a way |
| 33% | RIO | 3 | River, to a 20 Across |
| 33% | BOO | 3 | Response to a bad call by the umpire |
| 32% | LOSER | 5 | One who comes off worse in a contest |
| 32% | ONASOURNOTE | 11 | Bad way to end a relationship |
| 32% | LETSJOINHANDS | 13 | Exhortation to come together ... and a hint to 20-, 24- and 42-Across |
| 32% | GHOSTFACEKILLAH | 15 | Rapper who came to prominence as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan |
| 31% | CHARLOTTESWEB | 13 | Children's classic by 50-Across with the line, "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer" (2 wds.) |
| 31% | INCONTEMPT | 10 | Bad way to be held by a judge |
| 31% | SPLAT | 5 | Bad sound to hear by a kitchen counter |
| 31% | GETONEFREE | 10 | End of a come-on to bargain hunters |
| 31% | MADAMIMADAM | 11 | Palindromic introduction, and a hint to the ends of 18-, 20-, 53- and 57-Across |
| 30% | LIEN | 4 | Bad thing to come up in a title search |
| 30% | ODOR | 4 | Bad thing to come out of a milk carton |
| 30% | EILEEN | 6 | Girl who's told to "Come on" more than 20 times during a 1982 pop smash |
| 30% | THATSTHETICKET | 14 | "Exactly!" ... and a hint to where 20-, 36- and 43-Across' ending words may be found |
| 30% | DIDYOUCATCHTHAT | 15 | "Someone say something?" or a hint to the ends of 18-, 20-, 54- and 59-Across |
| 30% | CLOSED | 6 | Came in to pitch at the end of a game |
| 30% | EITHERBORE | 10 | Whom to interrupt to end a couple's tedious conversation? |
| 30% | LATEBLOOMER | 11 | One who catches up eventually ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 30- and 46-Across |
| 29% | OMEN | 4 | Foreboding or a sign of bad things to come |
| 29% | SWIPERIGHT | 10 | Show interest romantically ... or a hint to the ends of the answers to 20- and 44-Across, phonetically |
| 29% | FACERECOGNITION | 15 | Technology used by smartphones nowadays ... or a hint to the ends of 16-, 24-, 44- and 57-Across |
| 29% | CILKASJOURNEY | 13 | Novel by 15-Across about a woman who is sent to Siberia after surviving Auschwitz (2 wds.) |
| 29% | HEAD | 4 | Come to a ___ |
| 29% | WORDOFMOUTH | 11 | What rumors are spread by … or a hint to the ends of 16-, 29-, 35-/37- and 45-Across |