| 100% | ACUTABOVE | 9 | Superior to ... and what can go with the starts of 3-, 7-, 9- and 24-Down |
| 64% | DROPSHOTS | 9 | Tricky tennis returns, and a hint to the starts of 3-, 7-, 9- and 24-Down |
| 63% | HEADLIGHT | 9 | Night driving need, and what can go with the starts of the answers to starred clues |
| 55% | TAILLIGHT | 9 | Rear warning lamp, and what can go with the end of each answer to a starred clue |
| 49% | WHATCHAUPTO | 11 | "Anything fun on the agenda today?," or a hint to the starts of 3-, 7-, 21-, and 29-Down |
| 49% | BREAK | 5 | Intermission ... or what you can do to the starts of 17-, 24-, 38-, 46- and 59-Across |
| 48% | DOWNWARDDOG | 11 | Popular yoga pose ... or a literal hint to the ends of 3-, 7-, 9- and 21-Down |
| 47% | SPREADEM | 8 | Cop's order before frisking, and what to do with the starts of the starred answers |
| 47% | DEADEND | 7 | Like jobs with no future ... and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be? |
| 46% | OUTOF | 5 | Lacking, and what can go with each word in the answers to starred clues |
| 46% | COMICRELIEF | 11 | What the starts of 18-, 24-, 37- and 52-Across can provide? |
| 45% | SNOWCAPPED | 10 | Like alpine peaks ... or what each half of 3-, 7-, 9-, 37- and 44-Down can be? |
| 45% | TAKEITTOTHEBANK | 15 | "Believe you me!" ... or what you can do with the start of 18-, 24-, 53- or 63-Across? |
| 45% | USEFOWLLANGUAGE | 15 | What the starts of the answers to 17-, 24-, 48- and 60-Across do, punnily? |
| 44% | PUTTINGONAIRS | 13 | Acting affectedly ... and, based on what can go with the three parts of 20-, 32- and 43-Across, this puzzle's title |
| 44% | TAKEASWING | 10 | Try to hit, or what one can do with the ends of 18-, 26- and 47-Across |
| 43% | THATWASNTON | 11 | With 70-Down, "Never would've predicted this scenario," and what can be said about the first word of the answer to each starred clue? |
| 43% | AFTERDARK | 9 | At night ... and where the starts of the answers to starred clues can go |
| 43% | WELCOMETOMY | 11 | With 59-Across, what one might say when entering the starts of 16-, 24-, and 38-Across? |
| 43% | ITSADEAL | 8 | "Agreed!" ... and what can be said about the start of the answers to starred clues |
| 43% | LEADINGLADY | 11 | Female box office star, and what the starts of the answers to starred clues can have |
| 43% | ACUTABOVE | 9 | On another level, or a clue to the starts of 3-, 4-, 11- and 27-Down |
| 42% | TAKEFIVE | 8 | Go on a break, or what the starts of 16-, 20-, 32-, 43-, and 57-Across can be called |
| 42% | SESAME | 6 | With 63-Across, where to find all the characters at the starts of 17-, 24-, 40-, 52- and 66-Across |
| 42% | FIVEGUYS | 8 | Hamburger franchise, and what can be found at the starts of 17-, 24-, 30-, 41-, and 48-Across |
| 42% | SIDEEFFECT | 10 | Undesired medication consequence ... and what can literally go with the end of 17-, 23-, 37- and 48-Across |
| 42% | NEWSPAPERCOLUMN | 15 | Place to express an opinion ... or a literal description of 3-, 7-, 9- and 21-Down? |
| 42% | THISISNOTADRILL | 15 | "Remember your training, people!," and what can be said about the starts of 17-, 24-, 51-, and 63-Across |
| 42% | FATHERFIGURES | 13 | Some male role models, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 42% | SINKORSWIM | 10 | Success-versus-failure metaphor, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues |