| 100% | DRPEPPER | 8 | Soda that, according to the Food and Drug Administration, is not technically a cola |
| 40% | MAC | 3 | ___ and cheese, a casserole baked in oven that is considered to be a comfort food in the US |
| 36% | STEPS | 5 | Courthouse ___, entrance to the courthouse that is often a site for protests and rallies |
| 36% | BED | 3 | "Love is not a ___ of roses," phrase that describes the ups and downs of love |
| 34% | POPSICLE | 8 | Frozen treat that is assumed to be a portmanteau of the words "pop" and "icicle" |
| 34% | DROPIT | 6 | "That'll be enough of that subject" ... and a hint to solving the answers to starred clues |
| 34% | APE | 3 | Word that means to imitate someone and is also the name of a primate |
| 33% | TAPIRS | 6 | Large animals that look a little pig-like, are related to rhinos and live in the Amazon |
| 33% | WHEW | 4 | Word that corresponds to the emoji with a grinning face, beads of sweat and seems to be wiping its brow |
| 33% | CATS | 4 | What Grizabella and Skimbleshanks are, according to the title of a Broadway musical |
| 33% | YELP | 4 | Crowd-sourced review site that is assumed to be a portmanteau of the words "yellow pages" and "the help" |
| 33% | ELFFUR | 6 | ... Looking back on it, I'm glad I bought that and not the ___. Luxurious Santa is a bad look!
|
| 33% | STIRUPDRAMA | 11 | Create tension in a group, and a direction that was followed when forming the answer to each starred clue? |
| 32% | MOUSELEMUR | 10 | A species unique to Madagascar that is the world's smallest primate and one of the smallest mammals in the world: 2 wds. |
| 32% | THERE | 5 | "___ has never been a sadness that can't be cured by breakfast food," quote from the TV series "Parks and Recreation" |
| 32% | SWORD | 5 | Weapon used for duels and adventures on the high seas that would be a great addition to your "Pirate" Halloween costume |
| 32% | RISE | 4 | "___ of the Planet of the Apes," 2011 movie about an ape being exposed to a gene-modifying drug that enhances his intelligence |
| 31% | CLIMBING | 8 | Sport ___, sport that will debut in the 2020 Olympics and requires contestants to ascend a steep wall with their hands and feet |
| 31% | MISSING | 7 | "I'll Be ___ You," 1997 Puff Daddy and Faith Evans song that was a tribute to rapper The Notorious B.I.G. |
| 31% | HXHHXHHXHHXHHXH | 15 | When the ends of each of its letters are connected to those above and below, a simplified schematic of a famous structure |
| 31% | COW | 3 | Beast that according to the Mahabharata is to be treated with the same respect "as one's mother" |
| 31% | HERO | 4 | *Person who saves the day... and a word you may use to describe those being celebrated in this puzzle |
| 31% | ORANGES | 7 | Fruits that lend their name to a color (and not the other way around) |
| 31% | ABBR | 4 | Letters that may follow some of the clues in the Vox crossword due to it being a small, but not that easy, puzzle |
| 31% | IVORIES | 7 | “Okay just learned that tickling the ___ is a piano reference and has NOTHING to do with making white ppl laugh” (Vinny Thomas tweet) |
| 31% | CAPO | 4 | Tool that is clamped onto a guitar's neck to shorten the strings and raise the pitch |
| 31% | SPOT | 4 | Parking ___, place in the car lot where you might be parked, and something that seems impossible to find when you're in a rush |
| 31% | BAYLEAF | 7 | Food flavorer that's not supposed to be eaten |
| 31% | ASLEEP | 6 | Not a good thing to be at the wheel |
| 31% | TREES | 5 | According to the poet's oldest son, it was written "by a window looking down a wooded hill" |