| 100% | BATTLE | 6 | With 35-Down, Korea in the 1950s or Iraq in the 2000s |
| 43% | FIFTH | 5 | With 45-Down, subversive groups ... or what the answers in the circled squares comprise? |
| 41% | TEENIDOL | 8 | Elvis in the 1950s or Justin Bieber in the 2010s |
| 41% | COINAGE | 7 | "Brexit" or "mansplain," in the 2000s |
| 40% | MALTS | 5 | Drinks common in the 1950s (rhymes with "salts") |
| 40% | ANKA | 4 | Pop star with top 40 hits in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s |
| 39% | PLUMB | 5 | With 111 Down, crazy as a loon, in the Crazy A Saloon |
| 39% | BARACK | 6 | With 29 Down, president born in the '60s |
| 38% | MAHRE | 5 | Phil or Steve with Olympic slalom medals in the same race |
| 38% | BADMOONRISING | 13 | Creedence Clearwater Revival hit with the line "I see trouble on the way," or what can be found in three long Down entries |
| 38% | FAD | 3 | Flash mobbing or wearing grillz, in the 2000s |
| 38% | INVERT | 6 | Put upside down or in the opposite position |
| 38% | INVERTED | 8 | Put upside down or in the opposite order |
| 37% | ACE | 3 | Playing card with a single heart, diamond, club, or spade in the center |
| 37% | MOVING | 6 | With 58-Down, vehicle for people on the go? ... or a hint to five strategically placed answers in this puzzle |
| 37% | CAPITAL | 7 | With 31-Down, proceeds from the sale of an asset … or a hint to understanding six answers in this puzzle |
| 37% | AVIATOR | 7 | One with his or her head in the clouds |
| 37% | CRIED | 5 | With 4-Down, threw in the towel |
| 37% | FOLLOWINGTHE | 12 | With 58-Down, a patient process? ... or a hint to two consecutive letters in the answer to each of the seven starred clues |
| 37% | THE | 3 | With 35- and 36-Across, second-largest galaxy in the Local Group |
| 37% | ACE | 3 | Card with the highest or lowest value in a suit |
| 37% | MILEY | 5 | With 4-Down, “Party in the U.S.A.” singer |
| 37% | RAGS | 4 | With 35-Down, the American Dream |
| 36% | WILLY | 5 | With 35-Across, the lead role in Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" |
| 36% | NAS | 3 | Rapper who famously feuded with Jay-Z in the early 2000s |
| 36% | SCREW | 5 | Item in the hardware department with a "+" or "-" on its head |
| 36% | OBEDIENT | 8 | Dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority |
| 36% | TUBE | 4 | Top with no sleeves or straps, often worn in the summer |
| 36% | IRAQ | 4 | With 33-Down, topic in the 2008 presidential campaign |
| 36% | DEA | 3 | With 14-Down, figs. in the war on drugs |