| 100% | RAINRAINGOAWAY | 14 | Start of a hopeful rhyme about bad weather, and a hint to what the first word of 16-, 24- and 46-Across may describe |
| 42% | FINISHINGSECOND | 15 | Placing (and a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 47- and 60-Across) |
| 40% | THEPLOTTHICKENS | 15 | "Now things are getting interesting" ... or a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 45- and 57-Across |
| 40% | BACKTRACK | 9 | Reverse a position, and a hint to what can follow the first words of the starred answers |
| 39% | TOPBANANA | 9 | Head honcho, and a hint to the first word of 3-, 8-, 21-, or 24-Down |
| 39% | COLDOPEN | 8 | Start of each "S.N.L." episode ... or a hint to the initials of the words in 17-, 24-, 35- and 47-Across |
| 39% | ITSGROWINGONME | 14 | "I'm starting to like this" ... or a hint to the starts of 16-, 24-, 47- and 58-Across, in order |
| 39% | MARKETOPENING | 13 | What ringing a certain bell signals, and a hint to the first words of this puzzle's movie titles |
| 38% | LETSEAT | 7 | "Dinner!" ... and a hint to the first word of 21-, 27-, 44- and 53-Across |
| 38% | CHANGELANES | 11 | What you might do to pass on an Interstate ... or a phonetic hint to the starts of 18-, 28- and 50-Across |
| 38% | SPEAKOFTHEDEVIL | 15 | "We were just talking about you!" and a hint to the first words of the answers to the starred clues |
| 38% | OPENFORBUSINESS | 15 | Sign outside a new store, or what the first words of 18-, 24-, 52-, and 59-Across can do? |
| 37% | JUMPSTARTS | 10 | Revives, and a hint to the beginnings of 16-, 22-, 33- and 46-Across |
| 37% | ROLLINGINDOUGH | 14 | Wealthy, and a hint to the first word of 20-, 35- and 40-Across |
| 37% | WHATSTHEBIGDEAL | 15 | "Why so worried?" (and a hint to the last words of 17-, 24-, 51- and 64-Across) |
| 37% | HOWSWEETITIS | 12 | Jackie Gleason catchphrase, and a hint to the starts of 20-, 28- and 46-Across |
| 37% | CAST | 4 | Throw, and what you can do to the first words of 17-, 24-, 39-, 47- and 58-Across |
| 37% | FOURINHAND | 10 | Popular necktie knot ... and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 33- and 51-Across |
| 37% | STARTINGSALARIES | 16 | Entry-level wages, and a hint to the first words of 18-, 28-, and 49-Across |
| 37% | WORDOFMOUTH | 11 | What rumors are spread by … or a hint to the ends of 16-, 29-, 35-/37- and 45-Across |
| 37% | ITSNOTHING | 10 | "Just a scratch, really" ... and a hint to the starts of 17-, 27-, 36- and 46-Across |
| 37% | TAKEITTOTHEBANK | 15 | "You can count on that!," and a hint to the starts of 16-, 25-, and 43-Across |
| 37% | HERESJOHNNY | 11 | Classic TV intro ... or a hint to the starts of 16-, 22-, 30-, 42- and 47-Across |
| 37% | LGBTQ | 5 | Modern movement initialism ... or a hint to the starts of 18-, 24-, 40-, 52- and 61-Across |
| 37% | PLAYINGWITHFIRE | 15 | Doing something risky ... or a hint to the last words of 18-, 24-, 49- and 58-Across |
| 37% | HOLDIT | 6 | "Stop right there!" … or a hint to the first words of 17-, 23-, 47- and 59-Across |
| 36% | COUNTERFEITCOIN | 15 | Slug, or a hint to the starts of 17-, 28- and 46-Across |
| 36% | WORDSWITHFRIENDS | 16 | Popular app ... or a hint to the starts of 18-, 24- and 49-Across |
| 36% | BREAKABLES | 10 | Extra-care items for movers ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 28-, 44- and 49-Across |
| 36% | IBELIEVEICANFLY | 15 | R. Kelly hit whose last title word is aptly rhymed with "sky" in the lyrics ... and a hint to the starts of the other four longest puzzle answers |