| 100% | HOOTS | 5 | What you hear in this conversation: "Good evening." "Good evening. Oh look, there's a mouse. I'll be right back." |
| 41% | HOWLS | 5 | What you hear in this conversation: "What a nice night we're having in this dark forest!" "Yes indeed! Ooh, look at that full moon!" |
| 40% | BLEATS | 6 | What you hear in this conversation: "Nice weather we're having today." "Ewe said it. Get it? I said 'ewe'!" "Ugh, that pun was awful." "You mean ... it was baaad?" |
| 40% | HONKS | 5 | What you hear in this conversation: "So, got any plans for the winter?" "Yeah, flying south. I'm pretty sure that's also your plan." |
| 38% | ROARS | 5 | What you hear in this conversation: "I'm the king of the jungle!" "No, I'm the king of the jungle!" |
| 37% | CROAKS | 6 | What you hear in this conversation: "How's life here at the pond?" "Oh, you know, eating bugs, hopping around, the usual." |
| 32% | PORCHSAC | 8 | ... Looking back on it, I should've invested in a ___ instead. Veranda plant pouches are hot right now!
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| 31% | HANGTIGHT | 9 | "Wait a sec, I'll be right back!": 2 wds. |
| 30% | ASEC | 4 | "I'll be back in ___!" ("Be right there!"): 2 wds. |
| 30% | BOX | 3 | Container (and, in a way, what you will find outlined by this year's clues related to the mega-meta) |
| 29% | TNOTES | 6 | If you invested in a few of these $5000 items in 1979, you'll be looking at images of President James Monroe |
| 29% | PUPPY | 5 | You finally find your gift! Let's take a look! (1/4) You hear little barks from a holey box. What could your gift be? |
| 29% | ADOZENROSES | 11 | What you can find in the grid after completing this puzzle, looking up, down, left, right and diagonally, word search-style |
| 29% | BIGSHOESTOFILL | 14 | High standards established by a predecessor … or what you are presented with in this puzzle? |
| 29% | SNARK | 5 | "'That's a great idea' is what I would have said if I had never heard an idea before in my life," e.g. |
| 28% | DROPMEALINE | 11 | "Don't be a stranger!" ... or what you have to do three times in this puzzle |
| 28% | NOBODY | 6 | I'm __. Who are you? Then there's a pair of us |
| 28% | HEALTH | 6 | Being poor in this will earn you a doctor's visit |
| 28% | SIT | 3 | "Just ___ right back and you'll hear a tale ... " |
| 28% | TTYL | 4 | Texter’s “I’ll be back in a while” |
| 28% | GOALS | 5 | What you score in soccer or hockey, or resolutions that are set as a New Year's tradition |
| 27% | HANDFUL | 7 | "I will show you fear in a __ of dust": T S Eliot |
| 27% | TACOENO | 7 | ... Looking back on it, the best part of that game was when composer Brian gave you a Tex-Mex treat. That's why we called him ___.
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| 27% | PASSTHEBUCK | 11 | There's a male deer walking unhurriedly in the right-hand lane, so be sure to ___.
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| 27% | ILL | 3 | "___ get back to you" ("You'll be hearing from me") |
| 27% | SEC | 3 | "Just a ___!" ("I'll be right with you!") |
| 27% | SEC | 3 | "Hang on a ___!" ("I'll be right there!") |
| 27% | SEC | 3 | "Hold on a ___!" ("I'll be right there!") |
| 27% | MASSAGEPASSAGE | 14 | "Go down this hallway: There's a couch / If what you seek's relaxing touch" |
| 27% | MRI | 3 | You'll be in a strong field when you take this test (abbr.) |