| 100% | BEERBEFORELIQUOR | 16 | Start of an adage that may explain why you're not feeling so well after solving this puzzle? |
| 33% | ATABOIL | 7 | How you might feel after solving this puzzle |
| 26% | SPENT | 5 | How you might feel after finishing this puzzle |
| 26% | DOWN | 4 | Look ___ (advice on how to solve this puzzle contest, assuming you're not solving on paper) |
| 25% | YESBUT | 6 | Start of an agreement that's not really an agreement |
| 25% | IMAGINATIONIS | 13 | Start of an Einstein quote that holds true when solving clever crosswords |
| 25% | FULLDECK | 8 | Feeling dumb? You're not playing with one of these |
| 24% | PANG | 4 | Feeling that may remind you of food |
| 24% | TENNISANYONE | 12 | Question you might feel like asking after seeing nine key words in this puzzle? |
| 23% | ILL | 3 | Not feeling so well |
| 23% | THEDOGTHATTROTS | 15 | Start of an adage |
| 23% | CARRYINGAGRUDGE | 15 | Start of an adage |
| 23% | BALLOONDARTS | 12 | Carnival projectiles that might be directed at parts of this puzzle? |
| 23% | STOLEN | 6 | What the starts of nine answers in this puzzle might be |
| 23% | BACKTOSQUAREONE | 15 | Where you may go after reaching an impasse … or a hint for solving this puzzle's 12 starred clues |
| 23% | BLOATED | 7 | You may feel this way after a big meal |
| 23% | HELPMANOVERBOARD | 16 | Start of an HMO story that ends, "Sorry, your policy does not extend beyond the three-mile limit"? |
| 23% | SSORCAYREVE | 11 | Start of instructions for solving this puzzle |
| 23% | TOERR | 5 | Start of an adage about forgiveness |
| 23% | TOERR | 5 | Start of an adage about humanity |
| 23% | WASTENOT | 8 | Start of an adage about economy |
| 23% | ANTENNA | 7 | Pointy signal-catching rod that may remind you of an old "idiot box" |
| 23% | ININK | 5 | How you might bravely solve this puzzle |
| 22% | CRUNCH | 6 | Cap'n ___, corn-based breakfast cereal that may remind you of an abs exercise |
| 22% | RELIEF | 6 | A sigh of this might be given when feeling better |
| 22% | GULLIBLE | 8 | How you might feel after reading the third letter of every clue in this puzzle for a secret message |
| 22% | PANAMA | 6 | Article of apparel that's not made where you might think |
| 22% | THIRTEEN | 8 | 1974 hit song by Big Star that may remind you of adolescence or an unlucky number |
| 22% | FINDERS | 7 | Start of an acquisition adage |
| 22% | TIMEFLIES | 9 | Start of an ''entertaining'' adage |