| 100% | CONSONANTS | 10 | There are six of these in the middle of 17- and 56-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 51% | VET | 3 | November honoree who can be found in the middle of 17, 29, 46, and 62 Across |
| 50% | CAPITAL | 7 | Any of the cities found in 17- and 56-Across and 11- and 24-Down |
| 46% | ELECTRICCAR | 11 | One is parked at the starts of 17- and 38-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 46% | TRAIL | 5 | A "mix" of this word straddles the two words in 17- and 57-Across and 11- and 29-Down |
| 46% | EYEOPENERS | 10 | Epiphanies, and what the starts of 17- and 37-Across and 11- and 28-Down may be |
| 45% | SCUBA | 5 | Activity suggested by the last parts of 17- and 53-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 45% | JEWELRY | 7 | What the starts of 17- and 62-Across and 11- and 34-Down may each be a piece of |
| 45% | FLAT | 4 | Word that can precede the first parts of 17- and 59-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 45% | OPERA | 5 | Word that can follow the first parts of 17- and 51-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 45% | MATCH | 5 | Word that can follow the first parts of 17- and 52-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 45% | CARDS | 5 | Word that can follow the last parts of 17- and 52-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 45% | GENERAL | 7 | Word that can precede the first parts of 17- and 60-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 45% | SANTA | 5 | With the first parts of 17- and 52-Across and 11- and 25-Down, four California cities |
| 45% | SAY | 3 | What you can do to the first parts of 17- and 53-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 45% | FIRSTMATES | 10 | Title of this puzzle, in reference to 17- and 39-Across and 11- and 26-Down |
| 44% | FETCH | 5 | What a dog may do to the last parts of 17- and 51-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 44% | MARKETS | 7 | What the last words of 17- and 61-Across and 10- and 25-Down are kinds of |
| 44% | SMACK | 5 | With 33-Down, precisely, as in the middle of 17-, 23-, 51- and 62-Across |
| 44% | MULLIGANS | 9 | These might be given on a golf course, after the ends of 17-, 25-, 39- and 51-Across |
| 43% | LADYTENNISSTARS | 15 | Names hidden in 17-, 25-, 51- and 65-Across (twice in the last of these) |
| 43% | NUCLEARFAMILY | 13 | Members of this can be found in the centers of 17-, 24-, 51- and 60-Across |
| 43% | ETAL | 4 | The AMA uses this abbr. with no period and if there are more than six authors, but only lists three of them in any case |
| 42% | OUTS | 4 | There are six of these in a full inning |
| 42% | COLDOPEN | 8 | Certain TV intro ... or a description of each of 12 letters in the grid (the starts of six Across entries and then six Down entries) that spell out an alternate title for this puzzle |
| 41% | PUTONASHOW | 10 | Perform in the theater ... and what can be done to the end of 17-, 25-, 37- and 48-Across |
| 41% | BESTMUSICAL | 11 | Award won by the starts of 17-, 25-, 39- and 52-Across and 11- and 29-Down |
| 41% | SOAP | 4 | The end of each of 20- and 56-Across and 11- and 29-Down is a popular one |
| 41% | TYPE | 4 | Synonym for "class" found in the middle of 21- and 54-Across and 3- and 35-Down |
| 40% | BROWN | 5 | Word that can precede the starts of 17- and 62-Across and 11- and 35-Down |