| 100% | FOUNDPOETRY | 11 | Verse derived from an existing source text . . . or what the circled squares might be described as |
| 35% | STANDUPGUYS | 11 | Honest sorts ... or what the circled squares contain? |
| 34% | JUGGLINGPINS | 12 | 51-Down's talent ... or what the circled squares represent? |
| 34% | LANDFORMS | 9 | Geographical features ... or what the circled squares in this puzzle represent |
| 34% | WARMINGUP | 9 | Getting ready to exercise ... or what the words composed of circled letters are doing when read from left to right? |
| 33% | ALIBI | 5 | Excuse that might be described as airtight or ironclad |
| 33% | MORSE | 5 | Inventor who might be described as dotty or dashing? |
| 33% | RANT | 4 | Post that might be described as a “wall of text” |
| 33% | ABS | 3 | Muscles that might be described as "rock-hard" or "ripped" |
| 33% | DARWIN | 6 | Evolution theorist ... or what the circled letters are evolving toward? |
| 32% | INSIDEJOKE | 10 | Source of an exclusive chuckle ... or what the circles within the five theme answers reveal |
| 32% | ADAPTATION | 10 | *2002 movie in which a Susan Orlean work is described as “that sprawling New Yorker shit” . . . or what the answer to each starred clue is |
| 32% | TURNINGRED | 10 | Showing embarrassment ... or what the circles in three puzzle answers are literally doing |
| 31% | BURSTINGATTHESEAMS | 18 | Overflowing, or what the words in the circles are? |
| 31% | NOISE | 5 | What unwelcome music might be described as |
| 31% | OUTOFORDER | 10 | Like a nonfunctioning vending machine, or what the circled letters are, in two ways |
| 31% | CUTOUTOFWHOLECLOTH | 18 | Completely false, or what the letters between the circles are? |
| 31% | ENDLESS | 7 | What the universe may or may not be |
| 30% | FIFTH | 5 | With 45-Down, subversive groups ... or what the answers in the circled squares comprise? |
| 30% | RAMSHORN | 8 | What the musical instrument known as a shofar is typically made from |
| 29% | HOTSAKE | 7 | Drink that can be described as jyoh-kan or astu-kan, depending on the temperature |
| 29% | QUARTERBACK | 11 | Football figure, or what you might get from an old pay-phone |
| 29% | MIXEDBREED | 10 | Pet without papers ... or what is literally found in the circled letters |
| 29% | SCAMALERT | 9 | Warning to consumers, or what might be triggered by the starred answers |
| 29% | OUTMUSCLED | 10 | Overpowered ... or how the Across answers with circles might be described? |
| 29% | TINSEL | 6 | What might be hung from the item hidden in this puzzle |
| 29% | GARLAND | 7 | What might be draped from the item hidden in this puzzle |
| 29% | LIGHTS | 6 | What might be strung from the item hidden in this puzzle |
| 29% | BITEMARK | 8 | What may be left on the skin by an attacking dog |
| 29% | RUBBER | 6 | The material that an eraser or a tire are made from |