| 100% | ENVELOPE | 8 | Sealed by licking or sticking, contains a letter |
| 42% | KEY | 3 | Letter or number struck by a typist |
| 40% | PAPALBULL | 9 | Written letter or document by a Pope |
| 38% | HEAT | 4 | *Furnace output ... or a word made by changing one letter of 36a |
| 38% | INNER | 5 | Private ... or a hint to the words spelled by the circled letters |
| 37% | MEAN | 4 | *Far from friendly ... or a word made by changing one letter of 32a |
| 37% | BREAKABLES | 10 | Fragile articles ... or a hint to the things named by the circled letters |
| 37% | PARTYDOWN | 9 | Really revel ... or a hint to the words formed by the circled letters |
| 36% | MEAT | 4 | *Vegetarian's no-no ... or a word made by changing one letter of 34a |
| 36% | DEAL | 4 | *Pass out the cards ... or a word made by changing one letter of 25a |
| 36% | HEAD | 4 | *Top of the body ... or a word made by changing one letter of 19a |
| 36% | SPREADTHEWEALTH | 15 | Redistributionist's catchphrase ... or a hint to the words formed by the circled letters |
| 36% | DAYBREAK | 8 | First light ... or a phenomenon suggested by this puzzle's seven sets of circled letters? |
| 36% | THU | 3 | Abbr. for a word also with abbrs. by its first four or first five letters |
| 35% | MEAL | 4 | *Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, e.g. ... or a word made by changing one letter of 27a |
| 35% | DEAD | 4 | *Out of juice, as a phone ... or a word made by changing one letter of 23a |
| 34% | FAXED | 5 | Sent a letter by phone |
| 34% | ELIDE | 5 | Drop a letter or two |
| 33% | BLOWININTHEWIND | 15 | Bob Dylan song ... or a hint to the object found by connecting the four circled letters in a diamond |
| 33% | SNAREDRUM | 9 | Percussion instrument hit by a brush or stick |
| 33% | ENVELOPE | 8 | What a letter comes sealed in |
| 33% | SENDS | 5 | Mails, as a letter or parcel |
| 33% | XXXXXX | 6 | Contained by this letter |
| 33% | WAND | 4 | Stick by a magician? |
| 33% | MGM | 3 | Letters by a lion |
| 33% | OCHRISTMASTREE | 14 | Holiday carol … or a literal hint to what can be drawn by connecting nine letters when this puzzle is finished |
| 33% | FAXED | 5 | Sent, as a letter, by phone line |
| 33% | ARE | 3 | Word reduced to a letter by texters |
| 33% | RETYPED | 7 | Rekeyed a letter if lost or wrong |
| 33% | BODY | 4 | Main part of a letter or essay |