| 100% | ADHESION | 8 | The action or process of sticking to a surface |
| 61% | ADHESION | 8 | Action of sticking to a surface |
| 50% | ADSORB | 6 | Stick to a surface in a thin layer of molecules |
| 45% | PLANTING | 8 | Process of putting a bush or seed into the ground |
| 44% | FOLLOWINGTHE | 12 | With 58-Down, a patient process? ... or a hint to two consecutive letters in the answer to each of the seven starred clues |
| 42% | CINEMA | 6 | The art of film, or a place to see a film |
| 42% | SEAR | 4 | Brown the surface of, as scallops or a steak |
| 42% | NEUTRAL | 7 | Unbiased, or the central gear of a stick shift |
| 42% | UNRAVEL | 7 | Solve or get to the bottom of a mystery |
| 42% | TEXTURE | 7 | The feel of a surface or substance |
| 42% | AREA | 4 | Sphere ... or 4πr^2, for the surface of a sphere |
| 42% | TUNE | 4 | Melody, or to correct the pitch of a musical instrument |
| 42% | AURATIC | 7 | Relating to the essence of a person or artistic piece |
| 42% | TEXTURE | 7 | The feel of a surface, bumpy or smooth |
| 41% | III | 3 | The third ... or a hint to the rhyming ends of every Across answer |
| 41% | CUT | 3 | Piece of the action, or a shout that stops the action |
| 41% | SETSSTRAIGHT | 12 | Disabuses of false notions … or a hint to the circled letters |
| 41% | JUSTBROWSING | 12 | Reply to a salesperson ... or a hint to the start of 19-, 25- and 43-Across |
| 41% | PLANKTON | 8 | Collection of organisms inhabiting the surface layer of a sea or lake |
| 41% | BITTEREND | 9 | R? … or a hint to the answers of the five starred clues |
| 41% | OMEN | 4 | Sign ... or a description of the answers to the six starred clues? |
| 41% | BTEAM | 5 | Subs ... or a feature of the answers to the 17 asterisked clues? |
| 41% | DOWNSIZES | 9 | Scales back, or a hint to the starts of the starred answers |
| 41% | TRIPLETIME | 10 | Minuet meter ... or a description of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 41% | ENTAILS | 7 | Involves, or a phonetic feature of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 41% | SOUNDMIXING | 11 | Audio technique, or a feature of the answers to the starred clues |
| 41% | HOMESTRETCH | 11 | Last leg of a race ... or a hint to the circled letters |
| 41% | CHANGEDONESMIND | 15 | Decided otherwise ... or a hint to the four sets of circled letters |
| 41% | ILLSECONDTHAT | 13 | "Amen!" ... or a hint to the start of four other long answers |
| 41% | EARLYBIRD | 9 | Morning person, or a feature of the answer to each starred clue? |