| 100% | OIL | 3 | With "of" and 51-Across, a facial moisturizer |
| 63% | BUTDOCTOR | 9 | With 14 and 19 Across, punchline of a joke about a clown |
| 59% | ITWASTHEBEST | 12 | With 36 and 57 Across, ''A Tale of Two Cities'' beginning |
| 57% | END | 3 | With 72-Across, evasive strategy ... and a hint to the last several letters of the four longest Across answers |
| 56% | TRADITIONAL | 11 | With 49- and 69-Across, a hint to the meanings of the bracketed clues |
| 56% | SAINT | 5 | With 51-Across, early adopter of the A.D. dating method |
| 56% | TYPEOFSCULPTURE | 15 | 17, 21, and 51 Across all finish with one |
| 55% | WEST | 4 | With 7- and 5-Across, 2021 film remake of a classic 1957 musical |
| 55% | RACHEL | 6 | With 34-Across, MSNBC host of a nightly news and opinion show |
| 55% | SPLIT | 5 | With 51-Across, nitpick ... or a hint to 17-, 37- and 60-Across |
| 55% | THEBEST | 7 | With 51-Across, Sinatra classic, and a hint to completing three puzzle answers |
| 55% | CRIME | 5 | With 65-Across, investigation site, and a punny description of the HEIST answers |
| 55% | THE | 3 | With 71-Across and each answer to a starred clue, all of it |
| 54% | ASILIVE | 7 | With 33-Down and 51-Across, "What a surprise!" |
| 54% | GOTOJAIL | 8 | 51-Across space that has a picture of a police officer with a whistle (3 wds.) |
| 54% | BED | 3 | With 66-Across, cover of sorts, and a description of this puzzle's theme |
| 54% | STICKY | 6 | With 58-Across, predicament, and a description of both halves of the starred answers |
| 54% | SKIPPING | 8 | With 59-Across, lakeside activity ... or a hint to the words spelled across the fifth, eighth and 11th rows of the completed grid |
| 54% | DARK | 4 | With 37-Across, fall of Rome aftermath, and a hint to the puzzle theme |
| 54% | SEPARATE | 8 | With 68-Across, 1958 David Niven film, and a feature of the starred answers |
| 54% | CURLY | 5 | Stooge with a shaved head, brother of 15-Across and 9-Down |
| 53% | THEMAMAS | 8 | With 41- and 54-Across, group with a 1967 ballad version of 39-/41-/ 42-Across |
| 53% | ABRAHAM | 7 | With 51 Across, source of quote |
| 53% | FULL | 4 | With 66-Across, back to the beginning ... or a description of 21- and 48-Down? |
| 53% | OCASIO | 6 | With 13-Across, the "O" and "C" of the political world's A.O.C. |
| 53% | SECRET | 6 | With 35-Across, anonymous voting method, and a hint to each set of circled letters |
| 53% | POTENTIALCONSEQUENCES | 21 | With 44-, 63-, 77- and 93-Across, a long-winded piece of advice |
| 53% | BYE | 3 | With 38 and 39 Across, NSYNC hit of 2000 |
| 52% | EYE | 3 | Facial feature with a lid and lashes |
| 52% | ANDREW | 6 | With 40- and 51-Across, composer of 29-Down/60-Across, as well as 63-Across |