| 100% | YOULL | 5 | With 21 Across, 3 Down, 8 Down, and 20 Down, response to Ralphie's request for a BB gun in "A Christmas Story" |
| 33% | DOESITSCALE | 11 | Investor's question for a start-up, to which 3-, 8-, 35- and 49-/7-Down reply "Yes!"' |
| 30% | CHEWTHEFAT | 10 | To have a long, friendly conversation with someone ("Let's meet for coffee and ___!"): 3 wds. |
| 30% | REDRYDER | 8 | BB gun Ralphie covets in "A Christmas Story" (2 wds.) |
| 29% | ITSUPTOYOU | 10 | "I'll defer on this one" ... or a hint for what's found in 3-, 9-, 21- and 24-Down? |
| 29% | REDRYDER | 8 | Brand of BB gun Ralphie wants, in "A Christmas Story": 2 wds. |
| 28% | DONTBIGEMPTY | 12 | With 45 Across, a query put to Bob Hope in 1939's The Cat and the Canary |
| 28% | BUTTERFLY | 9 | Word that must be added to 1-, 8-, 65- and 66-Across for their clues to make sense [with a visual hint in the grid] |
| 28% | THEDESCENTOFMAN | 15 | Darwin work ... with a hint to three consecutive letters in 3-, 4-, 7-, 9- and 11-Down |
| 28% | SIR | 3 | With 39-Across and 58-Down, response to a military command |
| 28% | DROPPEDCALL | 11 | Weak signal result, and an apt description of a word hidden in 3-, 8-, 18- and 20-Down |
| 28% | TOPBANANA | 9 | Head honcho, and a hint to the first word of 3-, 8-, 21-, or 24-Down |
| 27% | FLAGPOLE | 8 | Flick's tongue froze to this in A Christmas Story |
| 27% | ANDY | 4 | "Toy Story" boy ... or, with the circled letters, a hint to 20-, 39- and 53-Across |
| 27% | NO | 2 | With 38-Across, what a two-letter answer is in a crossword, usually ... or a hint to 20-, 24-, 44- and 51-Across |
| 27% | LAUREN | 6 | With 33-Across, "Good Girls" actress and comedian who won $500,000 for charity on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" in 2020 |
| 27% | PASSGO | 6 | Round a corner in 65-Across ... or what you must do to answer the clues for 20-, 34-, 43- and 56-Across |
| 26% | AIRRIFLE | 8 | What Ralphie wants for Christmas in “A Christmas Story” |
| 26% | WHATA | 5 | With 15 and 20 Across, a 1967 song sung by Louis Armstrong in "Good Morning, Vietnam" |
| 26% | HEY | 3 | With 61-Down, Jimi Hendrix's first single ... or a hint to the starts of 20-, 28-, 45- and 50-Across |
| 26% | FULL | 4 | With 66-Across, back to the beginning ... or a description of 21- and 48-Down? |
| 26% | OVALTINE | 8 | "Be sure to drink your ___" (secret message Ralphie decodes in "A Christmas Story") |
| 26% | THEHANDYMANYOUR | 15 | With 49- and 55-Across, response to 20-Across |
| 26% | ZIP | 3 | Nothing ... or a hint to what's hidden in 20-, 35- and 52-Across |
| 26% | MOVETHECHAINS | 13 | Pick up first downs, in football slang ... with a visual interpretation seen inside the answers to 19-, 24-, and 42-Across |
| 26% | TYPE | 4 | Synonym for "class" found in the middle of 21- and 54-Across and 3- and 35-Down |
| 26% | BEAUTY | 6 | With 33-Down, where to go for the ends of 16-, 20-, 40-, 56- and 62-Across |
| 26% | DONTTAKEANYOF | 13 | With 33-Down, Skeptic's advice ... or a "noteworthy" hint to seven Across answers in this puzzle |
| 26% | LOOSE | 5 | With 62-Across, handyman's assortment, and a hint to what's in each set of circles |
| 26% | WINWINSITUATION | 15 | Circumstance that's good for everyone ... with a hint to 17-, 25- and 44-Across |