| 100% | HOLDSWATER | 10 | What a plausible theory does (and what the start of each of 17-, 28- and 43-Across does) |
| 57% | NAMEDROPS | 9 | Shows off one's connections, or what you'll do by speaking the starts of 17-, 28- and 43-Across |
| 53% | JEWELRY | 7 | What the starts of 17- and 62-Across and 11- and 34-Down may each be a piece of |
| 50% | OPENINGDAY | 10 | Start of a sports season, and what each half of 17-, 28-, 39- and 48-Across can have |
| 49% | STOCKOPTIONS | 12 | Noncash corporate benefits, or what a cook would call the starts of 20-, 28-, and 43-Across? |
| 49% | CHANGELANES | 11 | What you might do to pass on an Interstate ... or a phonetic hint to the starts of 18-, 28- and 50-Across |
| 49% | EYEOPENERS | 10 | Epiphanies, and what the starts of 17- and 37-Across and 11- and 28-Down may be |
| 47% | FETCH | 5 | What a dog may do to the last parts of 17- and 51-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 47% | TONGUETIED | 10 | At a loss for words, and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 38- and 47-Across can literally be? |
| 47% | USEFOWLLANGUAGE | 15 | What the starts of the answers to 17-, 24-, 48- and 60-Across do, punnily? |
| 47% | OPENMARKET | 10 | Where things are freely bought and sold ... and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 36- and 46-Across do? |
| 46% | TAKEFIVE | 8 | Go on a break, or what the starts of 16-, 20-, 32-, 43-, and 57-Across can be called |
| 46% | SPELLBOUND | 10 | Entranced … or what one can do by reading the starts of 17-, 24-, 34-, 44- and 50-Across in order? |
| 46% | BLEMISH | 7 | Imperfection (and what's at the start of 17- and 60-Across and 11- and 28-Down) |
| 46% | BREAK | 5 | Intermission ... or what you can do to the starts of 17-, 24-, 38-, 46- and 59-Across |
| 46% | EYEOPENER | 9 | Shock to the system, and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be |
| 46% | TURNONADIME | 11 | Change abruptly, or what the insides of 17-, 27- and 43-Across do? |
| 46% | COUNTERFEITCOIN | 15 | Slug, or a hint to the starts of 17-, 28- and 46-Across |
| 45% | DEADEND | 7 | Like jobs with no future ... and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be? |
| 45% | DOUBLECROSS | 11 | Betray … or a hint to what can precede each half of 17-, 25- and 43-Across |
| 45% | JULY | 4 | What the beginnings of 17-, 25-, 40- and 52-Across are each a fourth of, phonetically |
| 45% | TAKESSTOCK | 10 | Assesses the situation, or what each of 17-, 26-, 37- and 50-Across does |
| 45% | BREAKABLES | 10 | Extra-care items for movers ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 28-, 44- and 49-Across |
| 45% | LEADINGQUESTION | 15 | Reason for a courtroom objection, and what the start of the answer to each starred clue has |
| 45% | MAKESWAVES | 10 | Causes a ruckus, and what the end of each answer to the starred clues does |
| 45% | BIGBANG | 7 | Theory of the universe, or a hint to the starts of 17-Across and 7-, 10-, 35- and 40-Down |
| 44% | JELLY | 5 | What quivering legs feel like ... or a word that can precede the starts of 17-, 27-, 45- and 60-Across |
| 44% | PACKSAPUNCH | 11 | Has a powerful effect, or what each of 17-, 26-, 38- and 49-Across does, literally |
| 44% | SPARECHANGE | 11 | Source of some jingling, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 28- and 45-Across |
| 44% | GENERALDISARRAY | 15 | Chaos ... or a hint to the contents of 17-, 28-, 34- and 43-Across |