| 100% | INCIPIT | 7 | The first few identifying words of a written text |
| 46% | ALAI | 4 | Second word of a game name that rhymes with the first |
| 46% | DOEADEER | 8 | First few words of the song Do-Re-Mi |
| 46% | ACROSTIC | 8 | The first letter of each line spells a word |
| 44% | ONCE | 4 | The first word of a fairy tale, ___ upon a time |
| 44% | SCRIPT | 6 | The written text of a play or movie |
| 43% | ATO | 3 | Words on the first of a set, perhaps |
| 42% | UPON | 4 | Word in the first sentence of a fairy tale |
| 42% | NATIVESON | 9 | First Book of the Month Club pick written by a Black American |
| 41% | BAA | 3 | First word of a nursery rhyme that ends "And one for the little boy who lives down the lane" |
| 40% | BABY | 4 | First word of the three-word title of a 1992 Sir Mix-a-Lot single |
| 40% | ACRONYM | 7 | Word formed by the first letters of a series of words |
| 40% | NANCYREAGAN | 11 | First Lady of the United States (1981-1989) who wrote "To Love a Child": 2 wds. |
| 40% | ELLIPSIS | 8 | The omission of words from a text, shown by dots |
| 40% | CHECKPLEASE | 11 | Words to a server ... or a hint to the first words of the answers to starred clues |
| 39% | BED | 3 | A word that, when written lowercase, looks like the piece of furniture that it represents |
| 39% | EULER | 5 | Mathematician Leonard of the 18th century who first wrote f(x) to denote a function |
| 39% | SCRIPT | 6 | Written text of a play |
| 39% | DONOT | 5 | First words of a prohibition |
| 39% | SEEHERE | 7 | First words of a reprimand |
| 39% | IDARE | 5 | First words of a challenge |
| 39% | ILL | 3 | First word of a threat |
| 39% | DEAR | 4 | First word of a letter |
| 39% | LYRICS | 6 | The words of a song |
| 39% | WAS | 3 | Word edited into the first sentence of a recently deceased celebrity's Wikipedia page |
| 39% | IREAD | 5 | First words of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" |
| 38% | BAIN | 4 | Donald who wrote a 1963 "memoir" seen in the first words of 17-, 30-, 46- and 60-Across |
| 38% | ABC | 3 | First few letters of the alphabet |
| 38% | ONCE | 4 | First word of a fairy tale |
| 38% | SACRE | 5 | First word of a famous cathedral |