| 100% | MONROE | 6 | Silas Weir Mitchell played this character, a wieder blutbad and ally of Nick in NBC's "Grimm" |
| 28% | GAMEOFTHRONES | 13 | Actor Ed Skrein played a character named "Daario Naharis" in the third season of this American fantasy drama: 3 wds. |
| 28% | SNL | 3 | NBC fixture fond of wordplay, and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's spoonerisms |
| 27% | MAC | 3 | "___ and C.H.E.E.S.E." show in which Joey plays a character in "Friends" |
| 27% | PAULSCHNEIDER | 13 | Actor who played the role of Mark Brendanawicz in "Parks and Recreation", a character that appeared only in the first two seasons: 2 wds. |
| 27% | ARYA | 4 | Feisty and brave, this Stark girl is one of the strongest characters in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" |
| 27% | SOAPBUBBLES | 11 | Products of a child's wand, and what are literally rising in this puzzle's circles |
| 27% | CLARKGREGG | 10 | Actor who plays the character of Phil Coulson, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent in "Captain Marvel": 2 wds. |
| 27% | TIC | 3 | With 40- and 43-Across, game that's been played in each of this puzzle's corners |
| 27% | RAISINGTHEFLAG | 14 | Activity depicted in a famous 2/23/1945 photograph ... and in three of this puzzle's answers |
| 26% | SHOELESSJOE | 11 | Nickname of "Black Sox" outfielder Jackson who's a character in 18-Across and 32-Across: 2 wds. |
| 26% | JOHNNYONTHESPOT | 15 | Person who's ready and able to help ... or a literal description of four occurrences in this puzzle |
| 26% | JOSEPHCOTTEN | 12 | Actor who played a reporter and friend of the title character in 17-Across: 2 wds. |
| 26% | LAS | 3 | In Deck the Halls, you sing a lot of Fas and these |
| 26% | LOWPH | 5 | Characteristic of acid, and of this puzzle, in a way |
| 26% | LEAR | 4 | Father of Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, in a Shakespeare play |
| 26% | PARTTIMEJOB | 11 | Many a side hustle, and a description of seven of this puzzle's answers, in a way |
| 26% | COSMOKRAMER | 11 | Character played by Michael Richards in "Seinfeld", who is 32-Across's neighbor and is often called a "hipster doofus": 2 wds. |
| 26% | EKED | 4 | Squeaked (out), and a rhyme of a word in this clue |
| 26% | SITUP | 5 | Crunch cousin, and a feature of four answers in this puzzle |
| 26% | MISSINGLINKS | 12 | Evolutionary mysteries, and a feature of three clues in this puzzle |
| 26% | ITSONTHEHOUSE | 13 | "No charge," and a description of five places in this puzzle |
| 26% | HQS | 3 | Command ctrs., and a description of five answers in this puzzle |
| 26% | RIGHTBETWEENTHE | 15 | With 67-Across, in a sudden and completely apparent way ... or a punny description of this puzzle's circled letters |
| 25% | BYATT | 5 | A S —, author of the novels Still Life and The Virgin in the Garden |
| 25% | EWES | 4 | Wool sources ... and a homophone of vowels not found in this puzzle |
| 25% | AYES | 4 | Some votes ... and a homophone of vowels not found in this puzzle |
| 25% | ACITYONAHILL | 12 | Metaphor for America's standing as a beacon of hope, and what can literally be found four times in this puzzle |
| 25% | NOELGUGLIEMI | 12 | "The Fast and the Furious" actor who plays a member of the thief's heist crew in "Cash Out" (2 wds.) |
| 25% | ROLE | 4 | Character's part in a play |