| 100% | HEAD | 4 | With 37-Across, hair accessory ... or a literal hint to 19-, 27-, 47- and 56-Across |
| 57% | CARDHOLDER | 10 | One with credit ... or a literal hint to 17-, 27- and 44-Across |
| 52% | BBQ | 3 | Summer event, briefly ... or a phonetic hint to 19-, 26-, 47- and 53-Across |
| 52% | HEARTOFSTONE | 12 | Unfeeling nature ... or a literal hint to 19-, 31- and 38-Across |
| 51% | STICKEMUP | 9 | "Hands in the air!" ... or a literal hint to 17-, 23-, 37- and 46-Across |
| 49% | TALEOFTWOCITIES | 15 | Classic novel, following "A," with a literal hint to 17-, 27- and 48-Across |
| 47% | HEADSTARTS | 10 | Advantages, or a hint to 18-, 27- and 47-Across |
| 47% | THERESNOTWO | 11 | With 64-Across, words of certainty ... or a hint to 23-, 40- and 56-Across |
| 47% | FALLINGBEHIND | 13 | Lagging ... or a hint to 17-, 19-, 56- and 61-Across |
| 46% | MAIL | 4 | With 37-Across, perform perfunctorily … or a hint to the ends of 16-, 25-, 41- and 55-Across |
| 46% | SPLITENDS | 9 | Hair challenge … or a hint to the last words of 17-, 25-, 37- and 51-Across |
| 46% | COLORCOMMENTARY | 15 | Broadcast booth analysis … or a hint to 17-, 27- and 47-Across |
| 46% | HIVE | 4 | With 58-Across, collective consciousness ... or a hint to the ends of 19-, 35- and 52-Across |
| 46% | SPLIT | 5 | With 51-Across, nitpick ... or a hint to 17-, 37- and 60-Across |
| 45% | TRIPLEOVERTIME | 14 | Uncommon period in basketball ... or a hint to 19- and 37-Across and 4- and 48-Down |
| 45% | COMEDYCENTRAL | 13 | Popular cable network ... or a hint to 17-, 24-, 47- and 56-Across |
| 45% | TRIGGER | 7 | With 25-Down, caution before a potentially upsetting lecture ... or a hint to 19- and 59-Across and 7-Down? |
| 45% | TOP | 3 | With 39-Across, refill to capacity ... or a hint to interpreting the clues at 17-, 27-, 46- and 61-Across |
| 45% | MIDDLE | 6 | With 44-Down, educational stage ... or a hint to the contents of 18-, 22-, 47- and 53-Across |
| 45% | BREAKFAST | 9 | Part of a morning routine ... or a literal hint to 18-, 22-, 35- and 49-Across |
| 45% | ALLTUCKEDIN | 11 | Comfily ready to sleep ... or a hint to 17-, 24-, 37- and 47-Across |
| 44% | ONETWOTHREEFOUR | 15 | Start of a march chant … or a hint to 17-, 27-, 47- and 63-Across |
| 44% | PARFORTHECOURSE | 15 | Average ... or a literal hint to 17-, 26- and 42-Across |
| 44% | HEROSANDWICH | 12 | Sub ... or a literal hint to 20-, 34- and 43-Across |
| 44% | FLYING | 6 | With 40-Across, what a straight-A student passes with ... or a hint to 17-, 27-, 46- and 62-Across |
| 44% | BANANA | 6 | With 37-Across, some ice cream confections … or a hint to the second, fifth, eleventh and fourteenth rows of this puzzle |
| 44% | STARTUP | 7 | With 40-Across, money required to open a business ... or a hint to 18-, 24-, 47- and 57-Across |
| 44% | ANIMAL | 6 | With 56-Across, lunchbox snacks ... or a hint to the black squares before 18-, 29-, 35- and 45-Across? |
| 44% | DOH | 3 | Cry from Homer … or a phonetic hint to the ends of 18-, 27-, 48- and 62- Across |
| 43% | HORSEPLAY | 9 | Roughhousing ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 21-, 26-, 33-, 40-, 43-, 47- and 56-Across |