| 100% | BAYMARE | 7 | Secretariat's mother, for one ... whose start is a state nickname for the state indicated by the circled squares |
| 83% | GOLDENCALF | 10 | Biblical idol ... whose start is a state nickname for the state indicated by the circled squares |
| 83% | FIRSTRESPONDER | 14 | Emergency worker ... whose start is a state nickname for the state indicated by the circled squares |
| 83% | ALOHASHIRT | 10 | Article of tropical apparel ... whose start is a state nickname for the state indicated by the circled squares |
| 83% | SHOWMETHEMONEY | 14 | Catchphrase shouted in "Jerry Maguire" ... whose start is a state nickname for the state indicated by the circled squares |
| 37% | BROMANTICCOMEDY | 15 | Modern-day genre for the 1952 film whose title is suggested by a word ladder starting at 1-Across |
| 34% | OLEMISS | 7 | Nickname for a Southern university whose teams are the Rebels: 2 wds. |
| 34% | STEPHEN | 7 | ___ Curry, one of the highest-paid NBA players of 2019 who is a point guard for the Golden State Warriors |
| 33% | RATIO | 5 | Pi is one, for the circumference of a circle to its diameter |
| 33% | LOCALTRAIN | 10 | Option for a subway commuter whose stop is skipped by the express |
| 33% | HAPPY | 5 | 2011 song by Pharrell Williams whose title is also a word for being joyful and describes the emotion behind a smile |
| 33% | DUSTINDIAMOND | 13 | "Saved by the Bell" actor whose surname is a place for baseball: 2 wds. |
| 32% | DOWNEAST | 8 | One nickname for the state of Maine (2 wds.) |
| 32% | PAM | 3 | "Polythene ___," 1969 song by The Beatles whose title was inspired by the nickname of a fan |
| 32% | LSEVEN | 6 | Square, in old slang, as indicated by forming a square with one's hands |
| 32% | EARLOFCHESTER | 13 | One title for this puzzle's subject, spelled in order by the circled letters |
| 32% | WEAPON | 6 | The "what" of a Clue accusation, whose identity is hinted at by the three circled answers in this quadrant |
| 32% | ROOM | 4 | The "where" of a Clue accusation, whose identity is hinted at by the three circled answers in this quadrant |
| 32% | SUSPECT | 7 | The "who" of a Clue accusation, whose identity is hinted at by the three circled answers in this quadrant |
| 32% | DRWHO | 5 | BBC classic whose title role will be played by a woman for the first time in 2017 |
| 32% | SOLID | 5 | State whose last two letters are the postal abbreviation for a different kind of state |
| 32% | ALT | 3 | ___-J (indie-rock band whose name is a keyboard shortcut for the symbol ∆) |
| 31% | DIAMONDJIMBRADY | 15 | Early railroad tycoon whose nickname is a hint to the starts of 17-, 23-, 51- and 62-Across |
| 31% | SPIN | 4 | Take a turn with the object illustrated by the central black squares in this puzzle (leading to one of the four circled results) |
| 31% | WARIO | 5 | Video-game antagonist whose name is a portmanteau of the protagonist's name and the Japanese word for "bad" |
| 31% | APHASIC | 7 | One whose speech is affected by a stroke |
| 31% | OHIO | 4 | State nicknamed "The Buckeye State" which is home to one of the world's largest cuckoo clock |
| 31% | STAMBERG | 8 | Susan who was one of the "Founding Mothers of NPR," per a 2021 book by Lisa Napoli |
| 31% | THESTARSPANGLEDBANNER | 21 | This puzzle's theme, whose first notes are indicated by shaded squares |
| 31% | ALASKA | 6 | State whose flag, with eight gold stars in the shape of the Big Dipper, was designed by a 13-year-old |