| 100% | CENTER | 6 | The letter A, for this crossword |
| 59% | GULLIBLE | 8 | How you might feel after reading the third letter of every clue in this puzzle for a secret message |
| 57% | END | 3 | Apt word for this section of the crossword |
| 56% | EMIL | 4 | Rearrange the letters in "lime" for this male name |
| 55% | HOTAIR | 6 | This provided a boost for the Montgolfier brothers |
| 54% | STEIN | 5 | Letters after "Franken-" for the name of a monster |
| 54% | TIMES | 5 | ___ Square, title for this puzzle given the only five letters it uses |
| 53% | EBS | 3 | This is a test. For the next 60 seconds ... org. |
| 53% | KAON | 4 | Particle named for a letter of the alphabet |
| 53% | TEE | 3 | Shirt named for a letter of the alphabet |
| 53% | AAA | 3 | Sound of the letter "A" that stands for "affectionate" and "attentive" (qualities of a dad) |
| 52% | EARLOFCHESTER | 13 | One title for this puzzle's subject, spelled in order by the circled letters |
| 52% | APR | 3 | The starting of this month sees a lot of pranks, for short |
| 52% | ABC | 3 | Kind of order for the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 52% | PITCHER | 7 | Rather than a solo glass, order this for the table |
| 52% | SOFINE | 6 | "He's" this, in a 1963 hit for the Chiffons |
| 52% | CRUSTS | 6 | Cut these off the bread for a fancy tea time |
| 52% | AFT | 3 | On a ship, this is the word for behind |
| 51% | ATTACKWITHAPAW | 14 | The clue for 127-Across, if this shell game weren't a scam |
| 51% | ARCTICEXPLORER | 14 | The clue for 128-Down, if this shell game weren't a scam |
| 51% | GAY | 3 | What the second letter in a certain multiletter initialism stands for |
| 51% | BOOKENDS | 8 | Supports for some volumes, and a hint to the circled letters |
| 51% | SEVENCS | 7 | Punny title for this puzzle that's a hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 50% | STAIRCASE | 9 | This puzzle has a secret one, starting with the third letter of 4-Down |
| 50% | LGBT | 4 | Letter grouping for nonheterosexual people that sometimes has a Q added at the end |
| 50% | THREE | 5 | Shortest allowable number of letters for a New York Times crossword answer |
| 50% | RSAILSPLITTER | 13 | Another nickname for Old Abe ... or a description of the circled letter? |
| 50% | SWITCHBLADE | 11 | Street weapon ... or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 50% | ONASIDENOTE | 11 | "By the way ...," and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters |
| 50% | EXTREMEMEASURES | 15 | Desperate situations call for them, and a hint to the circled letters |