| 100% | MIDDLEC | 7 | Starting point for a piano student, or a phonetic hint to 17-, 18-, 22-, 33-, 41-, 49- and 55-Across |
| 45% | IFIWEREYOU | 10 | Start of some advice … or a phonetic hint to 17-, 24-, 37- and 48-Across |
| 44% | ARTOODETOO | 10 | "Star Wars" droid ... or a phonetic hint to what's found in 17-, 26-, 41- and 52-Across |
| 44% | BREAKABLES | 10 | Extra-care items for movers ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 28-, 44- and 49-Across |
| 43% | DOUBLEHEADERS | 13 | Baseball rarities nowadays ... or a phonetic hint to the starts of 17-, 26-, 48- and 57-Across |
| 43% | ELLEWOODS | 9 | "Legally Blonde" protagonist... or a phonetic hint to 12 Across and 17 Across |
| 42% | BREAKFAST | 9 | Part of a morning routine ... or a literal hint to 18-, 22-, 35- and 49-Across |
| 41% | DOH | 3 | Cry from Homer … or a phonetic hint to the ends of 18-, 27-, 48- and 62- Across |
| 41% | CHANGELANES | 11 | What you might do to pass on an Interstate ... or a phonetic hint to the starts of 18-, 28- and 50-Across |
| 40% | WORDSWITHFRIENDS | 16 | Popular app ... or a hint to the starts of 18-, 24- and 49-Across |
| 40% | ZHUZHUP | 7 | Fancify … or a phonetic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 62-Across |
| 40% | TRASHTALK | 9 | Taunting words for opponents, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 22-, 56- and 62-Across |
| 40% | REPEATAFTERME | 13 | Swearing-in words … or a hint to 17-, 22-, 48- and 55-Across |
| 40% | HOLYTRINITY | 11 | Central Christian belief … or a phonetic hint to 17-, 27- and 44-Across |
| 39% | LAUGHINGOUTLOUD | 15 | Bit of textspeak, unshortened ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 27- and 49-Across |
| 39% | BUTTHEADS | 9 | Disagree ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 26-, 40- and 49-Across |
| 39% | ESSAY | 5 | Kind of test ... or a phonetic hint to 17-, 25-, 36-, 47- and 57-Across |
| 39% | MIDSIZE | 7 | Neither large nor small ... or a phonetic hint to 17-, 30-, 45- and 57-Across |
| 39% | JOBOPENING | 10 | Want ad heading ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 38- and 49-Across |
| 39% | HUEANDCRY | 9 | Public uproar … or a phonetic hint to the two words in 17-, 28- and 48-Across? |
| 39% | BOOBYTRAPS | 10 | Dangers for the unwary ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 23- and 47-Across? |
| 39% | SOMETHINGWICKED | 15 | Start of a Ray Bradbury title ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 26-, 49- and 62-Across |
| 39% | CUETHEMUSIC | 11 | Instruction to start playing ... or a hint to the end of 18-, 24-, 49- and 56-Across |
| 38% | NOEL | 4 | Seasonal song ... or a phonetic hint to 18-, 23-, 37-, 52- and 59-Across |
| 37% | THEEND | 6 | With 39-Across, doomsayer's assertion ... or a phonetic hint to 18-, 24-, 51- and 61-Across |
| 37% | THEEIGHTIES | 11 | When Pac-Man and Rubik's Cube were popular ... or a phonetic hint for 17-, 23-, 37- and 48-Across |
| 37% | AREYOUOKAY | 10 | Query of concern … or a phonetic hint to two pairs of letters appearing in 17-, 24-, 37- and 48-Across |
| 37% | THINKBIG | 8 | "Shoot for the moon!" ... or a hint to interpreting the clues to 17-, 25-, 35- and 51-Across |
| 37% | TEASEAPART | 10 | Carefully distinguish ... or a phonetic hint to the first and last letters of 17-, 26-, 48-, and 61-Across |
| 36% | OPENINGBELL | 11 | Sound of capitalism? ...or a hint to the starts of 17-, 22-, 35- and 46-Across |