| 100% | SPLITPEAS | 9 | Soup vegetables … and a hint to 20-, 30-, 45- and 52-Across |
| 65% | PAIRSOFCARDS | 12 | Some poker holdings ... or a hint to 20-, 24-, 30-, 41- and 52-Across |
| 62% | MIDDLEAMERICA | 13 | Heartland, and a hint to 20-, 27-, 35- and 45-Across |
| 61% | INBUD | 5 | About to bloom ... or a hint to 20-, 33-, 41- and 52-Across |
| 60% | THELASTHURRAH | 13 | 1958 Spencer Tracy film ... and a hint to 20-, 30- and 39-Across |
| 59% | GRADEINFLATION | 14 | Modern educational phenomenon ... or a hint to 20-, 29-, 38- and 45-Across |
| 59% | SHONDARHIMES | 12 | Creator of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" … or, when said aloud, a hint to the starts of 20-, 30 and 45-Across |
| 58% | QRCODE | 6 | Scannable black-and-white square … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 45- and 57-Across |
| 56% | MIDSIZE | 7 | Neither large nor small ... or a phonetic hint to 17-, 30-, 45- and 57-Across |
| 56% | UPTHEANTE | 9 | Increase what is at stake ... or a hint to answering 20-, 30- and 46-Across |
| 55% | ORCHESTRA | 9 | Musical group, or a hint to the ends of 20-, 37- and 52-Across |
| 55% | ZIP | 3 | Nothing ... or a hint to what's hidden in 20-, 35- and 52-Across |
| 55% | WHATSCRACKING | 13 | Slangy greeting … or a hint to the starts of 20-, 25- and 45-Across |
| 55% | CENTERCOURT | 11 | Site of a tennis focus match ... and a hint to what's hidden in 16-, 30- and 45-Across? |
| 55% | LINCOLNCENTER | 13 | Home of the Metropolitan Opera ... and a hint to the "honest" guy hiding in 20-, 32- and 45-Across |
| 54% | WOOD | 4 | With 68-Across, a hint to the ends of 21-, 25-, 45- and 52-Across |
| 54% | SOAPS | 5 | Afternoon fare ... or a hint to the ends of 20-, 33-, 41- and 52-Across |
| 54% | CLOUT | 5 | Influence ... and a hint to 20-, 26-, 46- and 56-Across |
| 54% | KIDSAREALLRIGHT | 15 | With "The," 2010 Annette Bening/Julianne Moore film ... and a hint to the ends of 17-, 30- and 45-Across |
| 54% | ATOZ | 4 | All-inclusive, and a hint to 20-, 28-, 49- and 56-Across |
| 53% | ONTHEDOUBLE | 11 | Quickly … and a hint to 17-, 24-, 45- and 55-Across |
| 53% | NOBUTSABOUTIT | 13 | "Without a doubt!," and a hint to 20-, 31-, and 41-Across |
| 53% | FATHERSANDSONS | 14 | Ivan Turgenev novel ... and a hint to 20-, 31- and 40-Across |
| 53% | CUTTINGTHECORD | 14 | Eschewing big cable, and a hint to 20-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 53% | COPYRIGHTLAW | 12 | Author's protection, and a hint to 20-, 31- and 37-Across |
| 52% | MORNINGAFTER | 12 | Hangover ... and a hint to 20-, 34- and 41-Across |
| 52% | GETTINGTOYES | 12 | 1981 bestseller on principled negotiation, and a hint to 20-, 28-, 35- and 44-Across |
| 52% | MMMMGOOD | 8 | Classic advertising slogan ... and a hint to 17-, 25-, 40- and 52-Across |
| 52% | ENTOMBMENTS | 11 | Burials for pharaohs, and a hint to 17-, 26-, 40- and 52-Across |
| 52% | BODYPAINT | 9 | Some festival wear, and a hint to 17-, 30-, 37- and 43-Across |