| 100% | COMMAS | 6 | Use inverted __ to start and end a quoted passage |
| 43% | EFS | 3 | Start and end of a faceoff? |
| 43% | NEST | 4 | Start and end of many a flight |
| 42% | CUETHEMUSIC | 11 | Instruction to start playing ... or a hint to the end of 18-, 24-, 49- and 56-Across |
| 42% | ABRA | 4 | Start and end of a magician's cry |
| 41% | RACE | 4 | It starts and ends with a line |
| 41% | GETCRACKING | 11 | Make a start, and what you might do to the ends of the starred answers |
| 41% | SOMETHINGWICKED | 15 | Start of a Ray Bradbury title ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 26-, 49- and 62-Across |
| 41% | STIRFRIES | 9 | Uses a wok, or, read as a direction, a hint to the ends of 17-, 28- and 44-Across |
| 41% | CODEWORDS | 9 | Lexicon used by spies, and a key to the ends of the starred answers |
| 40% | FACERECOGNITION | 15 | Technology used by smartphones nowadays ... or a hint to the ends of 16-, 24-, 44- and 57-Across |
| 39% | ERASE | 5 | Invert and use a pencil |
| 38% | NEWYEAR | 7 | Time to start a fresh calendar and resolutions |
| 38% | GODOWNSWINGING | 14 | Fight to the bitter end ... or a hint to the starts of 20-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 38% | AURILIA | 7 | Ballplayer Rich who started and ended his 15-year career as a Giant |
| 38% | DROPCAP | 7 | Elaborate start to a passage |
| 37% | TONGS | 5 | Use these to pinch and flip meat on a grill |
| 37% | CARKEYS | 7 | Used to unlock vehicle doors and start engines |
| 37% | SEW | 3 | Use a needle and thread, to darn, e.g. |
| 36% | DOUG | 4 | ___ Williams, first Black quarterback to start in, and win, a 15 Across |
| 36% | THECATTHATSITS | 14 | Start of a Mark Twain quote about jumping to conclusions |
| 36% | CLAPPER | 7 | A board used by filmmakers to mark takes, and cut |
| 36% | BRIDLE | 6 | Head and mouthgear used to control a horse |
| 36% | BUZZWORDS | 9 | Trendy, much-used lingo ... or a hint to the starts of 16-, 23-, 35- and 48-Across |
| 36% | SOSA | 4 | Guy who started and ended as a Ranger but spent most of the time as a Cub |
| 36% | FLINT | 5 | Rock used to start a fire |
| 36% | DROPSTHEMIC | 11 | Dramatically ends a performance, and what the answer to each starred clue does? |
| 36% | PUNTING | 7 | Using a pole to drive a boat in Oxford and Cambs |
| 36% | PLOW | 4 | A tractor pulls it and is often used to clear snow |
| 36% | AIR | 3 | ___ quotes (used to indicate an ironic use of a word) |