| 100% | ALSO | 4 | The first "A" of 51-Across |
| 78% | ASK | 3 | The first "A" of 59-Across |
| 75% | ALAN | 4 | The first "A" of A. A. Milne |
| 74% | ASIAN | 5 | The first "A" of A.A.P.I. |
| 74% | ASIAN | 5 | The first “A” of A.A.P.I. |
| 72% | PREMIERE | 8 | The first showing of a movie |
| 72% | PRINCEPS | 8 | The first printing of a book |
| 71% | SAINT | 5 | With 51-Across, early adopter of the A.D. dating method |
| 71% | OUTBOUND | 8 | The first leg of a return journey |
| 70% | STEPONE | 7 | The first instruction in a list of instructions |
| 69% | MILKTEETH | 9 | The first set of gnashers of a young mammal |
| 69% | FROGSPAWN | 9 | The first stage of a tadpole's life cycle |
| 69% | INCIPIT | 7 | The first few identifying words of a written text |
| 69% | ACROSTIC | 8 | The first letter of each line spells a word |
| 69% | ALSO | 4 | The first "A" of AKA |
| 69% | ALSO | 4 | The first "a" of "aka" |
| 69% | ASK | 3 | The first "A" of AMA |
| 69% | ASIAN | 5 | The first "A" of AAPI |
| 69% | AMINO | 5 | The first "A" of PABA |
| 68% | BALL | 4 | The first lady of TV sitcoms, married to 41 across |
| 68% | ONCE | 4 | The first word of a fairy tale, ___ upon a time |
| 68% | PAWN | 4 | The first piece usually moved in a game of chess |
| 68% | COLOSTRUM | 9 | The first drops of breastmilk after a baby's birth |
| 68% | TUE | 3 | The first of two T's, in a familiar sequence |
| 68% | FRONTROW | 8 | The first line of seats at a stadium or theater |
| 68% | TIC | 3 | The first X of a winning X-X-X combo |
| 68% | ATO | 3 | Words on the first of a set, perhaps |
| 68% | THEBRIDGE | 9 | First part of a 1952 best seller's title, followed by 37- and 51-Across |
| 68% | AMER | 4 | The first "A" of NAFTA (Abbr.) |
| 68% | ASSN | 4 | The first "A" of MPAA (Abbr.) |