| 100% | SOPRANINO | 9 | Term for a musical instrument such as a recorder or saxophone with the highest pitch of all those in its family |
| 32% | LINKINGVERB | 11 | Word such as "be" ... or a punny description of the seven-letter word that can create new action words when its letters are inserted in the breaks of the circled action words |
| 31% | FORMULAONE | 10 | A sport that is the highest class of single seat auto racing, with former racers such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher: 2 wds |
| 30% | DANK | 4 | Making a comeback is this "wet and unpleasant" slangy term for something of high quality that originated in the '80s |
| 29% | GSTRING | 7 | Bit of attire that shares its name with part of a musical instrument |
| 29% | CROUCHEND | 9 | Area in the London Borough of Haringey that shares its name with a 1980 Stephen King short story |
| 29% | DIDNT | 5 | "___ We Almost Have It All," number-one hit by Whitney Houston that received a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year in 1988 |
| 29% | TUNE | 4 | Melody, or to correct the pitch of a musical instrument |
| 28% | EDINBURGH | 9 | A town in Indiana that shares its name with the capital of Scotland |
| 28% | XXXXX | 5 | Instrument that's also a musical term for "soft," abbreviated by its first letter |
| 28% | KNAPWEED | 8 | Perennial herb of the daisy family with purple flowers such as the wig — or greater — |
| 28% | RHESUS | 6 | Animal that shares its name with a king of Thrace in the "Iliad" |
| 28% | CRUISE | 6 | (3/5) Voyage on a boat that's undertaken for pleasure, such as with Holland or Royal Caribbean |
| 28% | NOTT | 4 | Surname for a wizarding family in the "Harry Potter" series that is a homophone of "knot" |
| 27% | BASS | 4 | "All About That ___," 2014 song by Meghan Trainor with a low-pitched instrument in its title |
| 27% | MALAPHOR | 8 | Informal term for a sentence that mixes two idioms or cliches, like the ones found in 20a, 42a, 58a, 24d, and 25d |
| 27% | ALTAR | 5 | Religious structure for sacrifices or offerings such as that mentioned in Exodus 30 in the Bible |
| 27% | DRUM | 4 | "Bang the ___ All Day," 1983 song by Todd Rundgren with a percussion instrument in its title |
| 27% | RAMSBOTTOM | 10 | Town in Greater Manchester that shares its name with a snake companion of the puppet Sooty |
| 27% | EYEOFTHETIGER | 13 | 1982 hit for Survivor with a sign of the Chinese zodiac in its title: 4 wds. |
| 27% | BOFA | 4 | Financial institution with a stylized version of the Stars and Stripes in its logo, for short |
| 27% | TENACE | 6 | In bridge, a holding of two non-consecutive high cards of a suit, such as the ace and queen |
| 27% | WHIP | 4 | A long instrument made of rope or leather that you would find in the hands of a lion tamer |
| 27% | RESTHARROW | 10 | Plant of the pea family such as the common — with pink flowers and a tough woody stem |
| 27% | REMORA | 6 | Elongated marine fish such as the Common — with a sucking disc on the top of its head |
| 27% | RESTHARROW | 10 | Plant of the pea family such as the common - with pink flowers and a tough woody stem |
| 27% | WHITERABBIT | 11 | 1967 hit for Jefferson Airplane with a sign of the Chinese zodiac in its title: 2 wds. |
| 27% | ASIAGO | 6 | European cheese with a hard texture that derives its name from the high plateau in the Italian Alps |
| 27% | MAPLE | 5 | Tree that is known for its fall foliage and as a source of a syrup enjoyed with pancakes |
| 27% | DANCEMONKEY | 11 | 2019 hit for Tones and I with a sign of the Chinese zodiac in its title: 2 wds. |