| 100% | RELIEVE | 7 | Take the place of, as a starting pitcher |
| 62% | DRAWS | 5 | Takes tiles, as at the start of a Scrabble game |
| 57% | TOFU | 4 | It often takes the place of meat in a vegetarian dish |
| 56% | CAMEON | 6 | Took the mound, as a relief pitcher |
| 56% | STUNTMAN | 8 | Daredevil who might take the place of an actor in a dangerous scene |
| 53% | UNCAP | 5 | Take the top off of, as a pen |
| 52% | BUYSOUT | 7 | Takes over the assets of, as a partner |
| 52% | PREEMPT | 7 | Take the place of |
| 52% | SUPERSEDE | 9 | Take the place of |
| 52% | SPELLED | 7 | Took the place of |
| 52% | SUPERSEDES | 10 | Takes the place of |
| 52% | LATETO | 6 | Missing, as the start of a party |
| 51% | HITSFOR | 7 | Takes the place of, in batting |
| 50% | RELIEVE | 7 | Replace, as a starting pitcher |
| 50% | BOWTO | 5 | Greet formally, as at the start of a sumo match |
| 49% | SUMO | 4 | Sport that takes place in a ring known as the dohyō |
| 49% | SANS | 4 | Without ... or, as a plural, what the starts of the answers to starred clues are without? |
| 48% | CHAW | 4 | Something placed in the mouth of a pitcher? |
| 48% | EMDASH | 6 | Long line that takes the place of commas |
| 48% | VEGAS | 5 | Las ___ Turkey Trot takes place every year as part of the Thanksgiving tradition |
| 47% | APHERESIS | 9 | Loss of a sound at the start of a word, as "opossum" to "possum" |
| 47% | SHOHEI | 6 | ___ Ohtani, baseball player who excels as a pitcher and a hitter because of whom the MLB introduced the "Ohtani rule" |
| 46% | BITE | 4 | Take the bait, as a fish |
| 46% | SAT | 3 | Took the bench, as a judge |
| 46% | TOFU | 4 | Bean curd, that often takes the place of meat in vegetarian dishes |
| 46% | LOCO | 4 | "In ___ parentis" (in the place of a parent) |
| 46% | BATSFOR | 7 | Takes the plate in place of |
| 46% | RETICULATED | 11 | Taking the form of a net |
| 45% | INLIEU | 6 | Taking the place (of) |
| 45% | UNCAP | 5 | Take the lid off, as a soda bottle |