| 100% | NEWCROP | 7 | This year's recruits, figuratively |
| 56% | ITGIRL | 6 | This year's starlet |
| 56% | SRS | 3 | This year's grads |
| 56% | NESTGENERATION | 14 | This year's hatchlings? |
| 52% | WAY | 3 | This year's Nationals, who went all the ___ |
| 51% | TOKYO | 5 | Host city of this year's Olympics |
| 51% | DRDRE | 5 | Performer at this year's Super Bowl |
| 50% | HOST | 4 | Stephen Colbert, for this year's 8-Across |
| 50% | TOMMYTUTONE | 11 | Group that sang this year's red herring |
| 49% | HOST | 4 | What no one did at this year's Oscars |
| 49% | LAURA | 5 | Fourth hurricane of this year's Atlantic hurricane season |
| 48% | NEW | 3 | ___ Year's Eve (observance this weekend) |
| 48% | ROMA | 4 | Best Foreign Language Film winner at this year's Oscars |
| 48% | ENTITY | 6 | ___ FX, special effects company for this year's "The Laundromat" |
| 48% | ACE | 3 | One of many served at this year's Australian Open |
| 48% | GPS | 3 | Nav. aid with coordinates (like this year's mega-meta) |
| 47% | IDES | 4 | Three days before the start of this year's March Madness |
| 47% | APOLITICAL | 10 | What this year's online DNC and RNC definitely were not |
| 46% | APRIL | 5 | Easter's month, this year |
| 46% | RONDAROUSEY | 11 | Former MMA star participating in this year's 31-Across (2 wds.) |
| 46% | BROCKLESNAR | 11 | Former MMA star participating in this year's 31-Across (2 wds.) |
| 46% | ADS | 3 | They cost over $5 million each during this year's Super Bowl |
| 46% | LEA | 3 | Actress Thompson who plays Betty in this year's "Dinner in America" |
| 46% | TERESE | 6 | Author Svoboda from Nebraska who penned this year's "Great American Desert" |
| 46% | NINE | 4 | Number worn by both starting quarterbacks in this year's Super Bowl |
| 45% | APR | 3 | Passover's month, this year: Abbr. |
| 45% | PEREZ | 5 | Rosie who plays Det. Renee Montoya in this year's "Birds of Prey" |
| 43% | TINA | 4 | Fey of SNL and who starred in this year's "Wine Country" on Netflix |
| 42% | SANDRAOH | 8 | One of the hosts of this year's Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton |
| 42% | XANDY | 5 | With 30-Across, what most numbers in the clues of this year's puzzles represent |