| 100% | AIM | 3 | What archers do before firing |
| 52% | SPAWN | 5 | What salmon do before dying |
| 52% | STRETCH | 7 | What athletes do before competing |
| 52% | PLOW | 4 | What farmers do before sowing |
| 52% | GETSET | 6 | What to do before going |
| 52% | MAKESALIST | 10 | What Santa does before Christmas |
| 51% | DARKEN | 6 | What skies do before a storm |
| 50% | WANDEREDLONELYASACLOD | 21 | What Wordsworth did before he got hip? |
| 50% | LATHERS | 7 | What one does before rinsing and repeating |
| 49% | RESTUP | 6 | What to do before a big race, maybe |
| 48% | SCAN | 4 | What you do before bagging your groceries at self-checkout |
| 46% | RELOAD | 6 | What one might do after a firing |
| 46% | PLOW | 4 | What farmers do to land before sowing |
| 46% | BLOOM | 5 | What fire poppies do after a wildfire |
| 45% | LASTSTEP | 8 | What to do just before you're done |
| 45% | TIE | 3 | What you do to your shoelaces before walking |
| 45% | DEBATE | 6 | What candidates do a lot together before elections |
| 45% | MEASURE | 7 | What one should do twice before cutting once |
| 45% | TAKEOUTTHETRASH | 15 | What to do before the answers to the starred clues will make sense |
| 45% | HITSEND | 7 | What you do usually right before noticing a typo |
| 44% | PEEL | 4 | What you would do to a banana before eating it |
| 44% | TUNE | 4 | What a guitarist would do with the instrument before playing |
| 43% | GETSTHEAX | 9 | Is fired, and what each starred answer does |
| 43% | AIM | 3 | What a marksman does before shooting |
| 43% | EDIT | 4 | What you do to a picture with filters before posting it |
| 43% | UNTIE | 5 | What you do to your shoelaces before taking your shoes off |
| 43% | UNTIE | 5 | What you do to your laces before taking off your shoes |
| 42% | PEEK | 4 | What not to do before December 25? |
| 42% | CARBOLOAD | 9 | What many runners do before a marathon |
| 42% | STRETCH | 7 | What many people do before they exercise |