| 100% | MUELLER | 7 | Special counsel who submitted a report in March earlier this year (with 20A) |
| 30% | OCEAN | 5 | In June of this year NASA reported that exoplanets with one of these may actually be quite common |
| 30% | LUPITA | 6 | With 31-Across, "12 Years a Slave" actress who played intelligence agent Nakia in "Black Panther" |
| 29% | THEARTOFWAR | 11 | Book with early versions written on bamboo slips ... or a hint to four entries in this puzzle |
| 27% | TEENS | 5 | Early years in a century |
| 27% | LADY | 4 | With 35-Across, "Born This Way" singer who plays Ally in "A Star Is Born" |
| 27% | MAY | 3 | "To Whom It ___ Concern," 2016 film starring Wilmer Valderrama ... or the start of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 26% | RUN | 3 | ___ in a marathon this next year |
| 26% | NATHAN | 6 | With 25-Across, special prosecutor who resigned from the Trump election subversion case in March 2024 |
| 26% | LASTSONG | 8 | Novel by Nicholas Sparks about a 17 year old teen who is sent to stay with her father in the summer, "The ___": 2 wds. |
| 26% | BOARDERS | 8 | These are people who rent rooms in a house |
| 26% | EXPERT | 6 | Person with special knowledge in a subject |
| 25% | BOWLING | 7 | In this game, players knock over pins with a ball |
| 25% | BFF | 3 | Whom you might get a matching bracelet with, in brief |
| 25% | MORON | 5 | "Anyone who disagrees with me," in a saying |
| 25% | ANA | 3 | Movie released on January 3 this year with Andy García and Dafne Keen in the title role |
| 25% | SEA | 3 | With 39-Across, pirate witch who was a foe of Popeye in early comics |
| 25% | NIK | 3 | Erendira's husband who walked across the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua on a high wire in March of this year |
| 25% | CHARLOTTE | 9 | In the story, the spider who's friends with a pig |
| 25% | DANECOOK | 8 | Performer with a self-titled HBO special in 2006 |
| 25% | SUPERHERO | 9 | The character with special powers in a comic book |
| 25% | DAYS | 4 | There are around 365 of these in a year |
| 25% | CALVIN | 6 | Character who appears with Hobbes in a comic strip |
| 25% | LAILAALI | 8 | Boxer who retired with a perfect record in 2007 |
| 25% | CHER | 4 | Singer who made a comeback in 1999 with "Believe" |
| 25% | ONO | 3 | Yoko who turned 80 earlier this year |
| 25% | STPAT | 5 | Irish figure who has a holiday in March, for short: 2 wds. |
| 25% | CLARABOW | 8 | Early film star who wore lipstick in the shape of a heart |
| 25% | AND | 3 | + ... with a hint to four pairs of answers in this puzzle |
| 25% | ALLSTAR | 7 | Baseball player who participates in a special midseason game: Hyph. |