| 100% | 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 |
| 58% | BEARSFRUIT | 10 | Pays off ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 38-, and 47-Across |
| 56% | ITSGROWINGONME | 14 | "I'm starting to like this" ... or a hint to the starts of 16-, 24-, 47- and 58-Across, in order |
| 54% | FIVEIRONS | 9 | Fairway clubs ... or a hint to the starts of the answers to 17-, 24- and 45-Across and 10- and 37-Down |
| 53% | PIECEOFCAKE | 11 | Easy-peasy ... or a hint to the start of 17-, 24-, 36- and 51-Across |
| 53% | BOOBYTRAPS | 10 | Dangers for the unwary ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 23- and 47-Across? |
| 52% | FREEATLAST | 10 | Final words of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech ... or a hint to the endings of 17-, 24-, 39- and 49-Across |
| 52% | SAYSAYSAY | 9 | Paul McCartney/Michael Jackson hit ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-. 57- and 65-Across |
| 52% | BREAKABLES | 10 | Extra-care items for movers ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 28-, 44- and 49-Across |
| 51% | AFFIX | 5 | Add-on to the start or end of a word stem (as in 17-, 25-, 35-, 49- and 57-Across) |
| 51% | HOLDIT | 6 | "Stop right there!" … or a hint to the first words of 17-, 23-, 47- and 59-Across |
| 51% | THEPLOTTHICKENS | 15 | "Now things are getting interesting" ... or a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 45- and 57-Across |
| 50% | FINISHINGSECOND | 15 | Placing (and a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 47- and 60-Across) |
| 50% | PENCILMEIN | 10 | Tentative "It's a date" ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 26-, and 48-Across |
| 50% | OPENINGBELL | 11 | Sound of capitalism? ...or a hint to the starts of 17-, 22-, 35- and 46-Across |
| 49% | DEVIOUS | 7 | Sly, and a phonetic hint to the pattern in the last words of 17-, 24-, 42-, and 58-Across |
| 49% | YES | 3 | "That's correct" ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 28-, 45- and 59-Across, in different languages |
| 49% | SWIPELEFT | 9 | Reject romantically ... or a hint to the starts of the answers to 18- and 35-Across, phonetically |
| 49% | PROCESSEDMEAT | 13 | Spam or sausage ... or a hint to the starts of 20-, 35- and 42-Across |
| 49% | COUNTERFEITCOIN | 15 | Slug, or a hint to the starts of 17-, 28- and 46-Across |
| 48% | WORDSWITHFRIENDS | 16 | Popular app ... or a hint to the starts of 18-, 24- and 49-Across |
| 48% | BUTTHEADS | 9 | Disagree ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 26-, 40- and 49-Across |
| 48% | IMONYOURSIDE | 12 | Words of full support, or a hint to the ends of 20-, 27-, 35- and 48-Across |
| 48% | ATHLETICCUP | 11 | Protective sportswear ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 24-, 36- and 51-Across |
| 48% | TASTEMAKERS | 11 | Influential sorts ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 23-, 39- and 50-Across |
| 48% | LAUGHINGOUTLOUD | 15 | Bit of textspeak, unshortened ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 27- and 49-Across |
| 48% | MONEYMONEYMONEY | 15 | 1976 Abba song ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across |
| 48% | JOBOPENING | 10 | Want ad heading ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 38- and 49-Across |
| 48% | RENTACARS | 9 | Some vacation expenses ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 23-, 38- and 54-Across |
| 48% | FIGUREHEAD | 10 | Carved decoration on a ship's prow ... or a hint to the first word of 17-, 25-, 37- and 45-Across |