| 100% | OPENFORBUSINESS | 15 | Sign outside a new store, or what the first words of 18-, 24-, 52-, and 59-Across can do? |
| 45% | TAKEANL | 7 | Accept defeat, informally … or what the last words of 19-, 24- and 49-Across do vis-à-vis the first |
| 44% | PICKUP | 6 | Learn, as a new skill ... or what can precede the ends of 20-, 36-, 42- and 59-Across |
| 44% | STARTAFIRE | 10 | Ignite something ... or what the first words of 17-, 23-, 38- and 51-Across do? |
| 42% | PLAYINGWITHFIRE | 15 | Doing something risky ... or a hint to the last words of 18-, 24-, 49- and 58-Across |
| 41% | CAST | 4 | Throw, and what you can do to the first words of 17-, 24-, 39-, 47- and 58-Across |
| 41% | RINGLEADER | 10 | Mastermind, and what the first word of 16-, 23-, 35-, or 45-Across can be |
| 41% | FOLLOWSUIT | 10 | Imitate, and what the last words of 18-, 26-, and 42-Across can do |
| 41% | COMICRELIEF | 11 | What the starts of 18-, 24-, 37- and 52-Across can provide? |
| 40% | BREAK | 5 | Intermission ... or what you can do to the starts of 17-, 24-, 38-, 46- and 59-Across |
| 39% | BUMPHEADS | 9 | Disagree ... or, literally, what the last words of 18-, 23-, 35-, and 49-Across can be |
| 39% | TAKEASWING | 10 | Try to hit, or what one can do with the ends of 18-, 26- and 47-Across |
| 39% | COLLECTORSITEMS | 15 | Things gathered by aficionados ... or what the ends of 16-, 24-, 49- and 59-Across can be? |
| 39% | FLY | 3 | Spider's prey, or what the first parts of 17- and 62-Across and 9- and 30-Down can do |
| 38% | SPELLBOUND | 10 | Entranced … or what one can do by reading the starts of 17-, 24-, 34-, 44- and 50-Across in order? |
| 38% | STARTUPBUSINESS | 15 | Fledgling enterprise ... and what the first word of the answers to starred clues can literally do |
| 38% | RINGLEADERS | 11 | Crime bosses, or what the first words of the starred answers can be |
| 38% | FOREFATHER | 10 | Ancestor ... or what the first word of seven answers in this puzzle can have? |
| 36% | HOLDIT | 6 | "Stop right there!" … or a hint to the first words of 17-, 23-, 47- and 59-Across |
| 36% | SPELLITOUT | 10 | Leave no room for misinterpretation ... or what the first words of the answers to the five starred clues do, literally |
| 36% | TAKEITTOTHEBANK | 15 | "Believe you me!" ... or what you can do with the start of 18-, 24-, 53- or 63-Across? |
| 36% | FRAMEWORK | 9 | Basic structure, or what a 19-, 24-, 40-, and 52-Across do? |
| 36% | BACKBURNER | 10 | Place for a nonurgent issue, and what can be found at the end of 16-, 24-, 37-, or 53- Across? |
| 36% | MAKECONCESSIONS | 15 | Compromise, or what solvers do when filling in the first words of 17-, 23-, 40-, and 51-Across? |
| 36% | TWOTRUTHSANDALIE | 16 | Icebreaking party game ... or what can follow the last words of 18-, 28-, and 50-Across |
| 35% | TOPBANANA | 9 | Head honcho, and a hint to the first word of 3-, 8-, 21-, or 24-Down |
| 35% | BALLPARKFIGURES | 15 | Rough estimates ... or what the ends of 17-, 24-, 52- and 65-Across are? |
| 35% | THEPLOTTHICKENS | 15 | "Now things are getting interesting" ... or a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 45- and 57-Across |
| 35% | FINISHINGSECOND | 15 | Placing (and a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 47- and 60-Across) |
| 35% | SKIPPING | 8 | With 59-Across, lakeside activity ... or a hint to the words spelled across the fifth, eighth and 11th rows of the completed grid |