| 100% | MAYI | 4 | Start of some polite questions (2 wds.) |
| 71% | OLORD | 5 | Start of some prayers: 2 wds. |
| 64% | WHATIF | 6 | Start of a hypothetical question. "Suppose...": 2 wds |
| 61% | TOBE | 4 | Start of Hamlet's most famous question: 2 wds. |
| 55% | DEARSANTA | 9 | Start of a Christmas letter: 2 wds. |
| 55% | IYAM | 4 | Start of Popeye's phrase: 2 wds. |
| 55% | USEBY | 5 | Start of an expiration notice: 2 wds. |
| 54% | ISAID | 5 | Start of a reiteration: 2 wds. |
| 54% | ISWEAR | 6 | Start of an oath: 2 wds. |
| 53% | IWANT | 5 | Start of a brat's demand: 2 wds. |
| 53% | TOBE | 4 | Start of a famous "Hamlet" soliloquy: 2 wds. |
| 53% | TOBE | 4 | Start of Hamlet's famous soliloquy: 2 wds. |
| 53% | DRESSPANTS | 10 | Bottom of some suits: 2 wds. |
| 53% | MAYI | 4 | "___ be of some assistance?": 2 wds. |
| 52% | IWISH | 5 | Start of a request to a genie: 2 wds. |
| 52% | TOA | 3 | Start of many an ode's title: 2 wds. |
| 52% | DEARSANTA | 9 | Start of a child's Christmas letter: 2 wds. |
| 51% | ATALE | 5 | Start of a Dickens title, "___ of Two Cities": 2 wds. |
| 51% | ISEE | 4 | Start of a crystal ball gazer's prediction: 2 wds. |
| 51% | DEARSANTA | 9 | Start of a letter to the North Pole: 2 wds. |
| 51% | ISEE | 4 | Start of a crystal-ball reader's line: 2 wds. |
| 51% | HEYSIRI | 7 | Start of a voice command made to an iPhone: 2 wds. |
| 50% | NOWI | 4 | The start of a prayer, "___ lay me down...": 2 wds. |
| 49% | AREACODE | 8 | Three-digit start of a phone number: 2 wds. |
| 49% | NOTIT | 5 | What some people shout at the start of a game of tag: 2 wds. |
| 48% | ATALE | 5 | Start of Dickens title (2 wds.) |
| 48% | DONOT | 5 | Start of a warning (2 wds.) |
| 47% | YOUVEGOT | 8 | Start of a reassuring phrase ... or the start to 20a, 41a, 55a, or 38d: 2 wds. |
| 47% | POUNDSIGN | 9 | Symbol used at the start of a hashtag: 2 wds. |
| 47% | ALA | 3 | French phrase in the names of some dishes: 2 wds. |