| 100% | EDWARDTUDORAROYALHEIR | 21 | With 39- and 54-Across, the beginning of the story |
| 64% | EDWARDWITHTOMSSUPPORT | 21 | With 94- and 106-Across, the end of the story |
| 60% | CHIEFJUSTICE | 12 | With 39 and 44 Across, the most major magistrate |
| 59% | GOING | 5 | With 39- and 42-Across, activity of the spirits in this puzzle |
| 59% | STATE | 5 | With 39 Across and 33 Down, what each syllable of the answer to each starred clue is |
| 59% | GREGORY | 7 | With 39-Across, writer of "Wicked," 15-Across, and 54-Across |
| 58% | MRIGGINSANDMISS | 15 | With 27-, 49- and 63-Across, the story behind 5-, 36-, 39- and 70-Across |
| 57% | OSCAR | 5 | With 70-Across, source of the quip at 21-, 39- and 58-Across |
| 57% | BYE | 3 | With 38 and 39 Across, NSYNC hit of 2000 |
| 57% | THEMAMAS | 8 | With 41- and 54-Across, group with a 1967 ballad version of 39-/41-/ 42-Across |
| 56% | ELEMENT | 7 | With 62-Across, a key component of any good prank, and a hint to the beginnings of the prankster's tools herein |
| 56% | ITWASTHEBEST | 12 | With 36 and 57 Across, ''A Tale of Two Cities'' beginning |
| 56% | GEORGE | 6 | With 39 Across, coiner of the slogan |
| 56% | SIMPLEMACHINE | 13 | Force-multiplying device that can be found at the beginning of 18-, 33-, and 39-Across |
| 56% | FIGHTCLUB | 9 | 1999 Brad Pitt movie hinted at by the beginnings of 17-, 21-, 39- and 52-Across |
| 55% | GIANT | 5 | N.Y. or S.F. athlete known for the beginnings of 21-, 31-, 42-, and 54-Across? |
| 55% | BETWEEN | 7 | With 39-Across, a description of the answers inside 17-, 24-, 49- and 60-Across |
| 55% | FULL | 4 | With 66-Across, back to the beginning ... or a description of 21- and 48-Down? |
| 54% | CLUE | 4 | Game associated with the starts of 17-, 23-, 32-, 40-, 47- and 54-Across |
| 54% | HIGH | 4 | With 69-Across, where to find the ends of 17-, 22-, 32-, 43-, 54- and 61-Across |
| 54% | ALEXANDERPOPE | 13 | Author of the verse that starts with the beginnings of 20-, 34- and 42-Across |
| 53% | NAOMI | 5 | With 39-Across, Japanese tennis player and co-winner of Sports Illustrated's 2020 Sportsperson of the Year |
| 53% | RUTH | 4 | It begins with the story of Naomi |
| 53% | ANDY | 4 | "Toy Story" boy ... or, with the circled letters, a hint to 20-, 39- and 53-Across |
| 53% | ROCKETMAN | 9 | 2019 music biopic that tells the story of how 17-Across began collaborating with 27-Across |
| 53% | GOODBYE | 7 | With 32-Across and 54-Across, title of the final episode of "M*A*S*H," which aired February 28, 1983 |
| 53% | FOURCORNERS | 11 | Landmark in the Southwest, and collective description of the beginnings of 18-, 24-, 39- and 51-Across |
| 52% | THECIDERHOUSELURES | 18 | Story of a youth who says to hell with it and goes to the pub? |
| 52% | ABRAHAM | 7 | With 39-Across, signer of the 23-/51-Across |
| 51% | EACHANSWERHASAN | 15 | With 37- and 54-Across, curious property of this crossword |