| 100% | OPENINGDAY | 10 | Start of a sports season, and what each half of 17-, 28-, 39- and 48-Across can have |
| 49% | DOUBLECROSS | 11 | Betray … or a hint to what can precede each half of 17-, 25- and 43-Across |
| 48% | HOLDSWATER | 10 | What a plausible theory does (and what the start of each of 17-, 28- and 43-Across does) |
| 46% | PINHEADS | 8 | Tops of sewing fasteners ... and what the starts of 17-, 26-, 37- and 51-Across can have |
| 45% | LEADERBOARD | 11 | List of top-scoring players, and what the start of 17-, 23-, 39-, or 51-Across could be called? |
| 45% | TONGUETIED | 10 | At a loss for words, and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 38- and 47-Across can literally be? |
| 42% | BEERCHASER | 10 | Shot follower, often ... and a hint to the starts of 17-, 23-, 39- and 48-Across |
| 42% | PACKSAPUNCH | 11 | Has a powerful effect, or what each of 17-, 26-, 38- and 49-Across does, literally |
| 42% | CHANCEENCOUNTER | 15 | Bumping into someone, say ... and what the end of each answer to a starred clue can have? |
| 41% | BODYDOUBLE | 10 | Actor's stand-in, or a hint to what can precede both parts of 17-, 25-, 35-, and 48-Across |
| 41% | HOLY | 4 | Blessed, and a word that can precede the starts of 18-, 28-, 48- and 62-Across |
| 41% | JELLY | 5 | What quivering legs feel like ... or a word that can precede the starts of 17-, 27-, 45- and 60-Across |
| 40% | JEWELRY | 7 | What the starts of 17- and 62-Across and 11- and 34-Down may each be a piece of |
| 40% | EYEOPENER | 9 | Shock to the system, and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be |
| 40% | MAN | 3 | Word that can follow each half of 17-, 27-, 45- and 62-Across |
| 40% | FIVEGUYS | 8 | Hamburger franchise, and what can be found at the starts of 17-, 24-, 30-, 41-, and 48-Across |
| 40% | AFEWCHOICEWORDS | 15 | Euphemism for rude expressions, and what can be found at the starts of 17-, 26-, and 48-Across |
| 40% | DEADEND | 7 | Like jobs with no future ... and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be? |
| 40% | ROCKANDROLL | 11 | Genre with a Hall of Fame in Cleveland … or what can follow the respective halves of 17-, 33- and 40-Across |
| 40% | SEASON | 6 | With 41-Across, good time for a cliffhanger ... or what each of 17-, 24-, 50- and 63-Across has? |
| 40% | HOUSEMATES | 10 | People who share a living space, and what both parts of 17-, 26-, 37-, and 49-Across can be? |
| 40% | LEADINGQUESTION | 15 | Reason for a courtroom objection, and what the start of the answer to each starred clue has |
| 39% | SIDESALAD | 9 | Dish that may accompany a main course, and what can be found at the start of 17-, 25-, 38-, or 53-Across? |
| 39% | BULL | 4 | Symbol of an "up" market, and what can precede the last parts of 17-, 39- and 62-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 39% | COMPUTERCOMPANY | 15 | What the ends of 17-, 27- and 48-Across each represent |
| 38% | PARTYON | 7 | Repeated "Wayne's World" cry ... or a hint to each half of 17-, 26-, 51- and 63-Across |
| 38% | JULY | 4 | What the beginnings of 17-, 25-, 40- and 52-Across are each a fourth of, phonetically |
| 38% | ENDGAME | 7 | Chess match climax, and what the last word of each answer to a starred clue can have |
| 38% | HAPPYFOURTH | 11 | Annual greeting ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 26-, 39- and 48-Across |
| 38% | GOODNEWSBADNEWS | 15 | Start of a mixed message, as illustrated by 17-, 23-, 39- and 54-Across |