| 100% | DEBT | 4 | With 11 Down, much-debated political limit ... and what the puzzle's circled squares compose? |
| 39% | FISH | 4 | With 11-Down, what each of this puzzle's groups of circles represents |
| 35% | RAISEMONEY | 10 | Get support, in a way ... and what the puzzle circles do |
| 35% | STATESWONBYBARACKOBAMA | 22 | With 90-Across, what the 28 circled squares in this puzzle represent |
| 34% | INNERDEMONS | 11 | Personal struggles, and what the answers with circles have |
| 34% | SKIPINTRO | 9 | Command to bypass a recap of prior episodes ... and what the puzzle circles do |
| 34% | PRIZEINSIDE | 11 | Cracker Jack extra, and what the answers with circles have |
| 34% | PAVEDROAD | 9 | What the circled squares in this puzzle symbolize |
| 34% | KELLYLINK | 9 | "White Cat, Black Dog" author ... and what the circled squares represent? |
| 34% | NOTES | 5 | Staff members, and what the circled letters in this puzzle represent |
| 34% | LONGWINDED | 10 | Verbose, and what the circled letters in this puzzle literally are? |
| 33% | EXTRA | 5 | With 55-Down, kicker's contribution, and what's found in the circled letters |
| 33% | XANDY | 5 | With 30-Across, what most numbers in the clues of this year's puzzles represent |
| 33% | PHYSICSFORMULAS | 15 | What the three sets of circled squares in this puzzle represent |
| 33% | CROSSPARTYLINES | 15 | Act in a bipartisan way, and what the circled letters do Across and Down |
| 33% | NOTHINGINCOMMON | 15 | Lack of similar interests, and what the three long answers with circled letters have? |
| 32% | ADDUPTOFIFTEEN | 14 | With 98-Across, 34-Down and 48-Down, what each line in the center square should do |
| 32% | LANDFORMS | 9 | Geographical features ... or what the circled squares in this puzzle represent |
| 32% | SUBCONTRACTED | 13 | Outsourced, and what happened to the circled letters in this puzzle |
| 32% | BREAKRANKS | 10 | Deviate from one's group, and what the black squares in rows 3, 5, 8 and 11 do |
| 32% | SOAKUPTHESUN | 12 | 2002 summer anthem from Sheryl Crow, and what the answers with circles do, in two ways |
| 32% | LEFTRIGHT | 9 | With 64-Across, the political spectrum, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 32% | BACKPACK | 8 | Travel the world with one bag, and what can be found in this puzzle's circled letters? |
| 31% | JACKINTHEBOXES | 14 | Some surprises ... and what you'll find in the circled areas of this puzzle |
| 31% | TWODRINKMAX | 11 | Limit at the bar, and a hint to the answers with circles |
| 31% | LOOSECHANGE | 11 | Pocket money ... and what's in the puzzle's circles? |
| 31% | SARGASSO | 8 | With 11-Down, area between the Azores and the Caribbean |
| 31% | REVENGEISADISH | 14 | With 11-Down, proverb about delayed retribution, with a hint to the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| 31% | SOULCYCLE | 9 | Spin class company ... and what can describe the arrangement of letters in the circled squares? |
| 31% | TIEBREAKER | 10 | Overtime round, e.g. ... and what a black square acts as for the circled words? |