| 100% | POTENTIALCONSEQUENCES | 21 | With 44-, 63-, 77- and 93-Across, a long-winded piece of advice |
| 47% | MIDDLE | 6 | With 44-Down, educational stage ... or a hint to the contents of 18-, 22-, 47- and 53-Across |
| 46% | CAPTAIN | 7 | With 63-Across, superhero with "wedgie power" ... and a description of 20-, 36-, or 54-Across |
| 46% | ROLL | 4 | With 44- and 76-Across, way to put legislators on record ... or the start, middle and end of a word ladder |
| 45% | SEASON | 6 | With 41-Across, good time for a cliffhanger ... or what each of 17-, 24-, 50- and 63-Across has? |
| 45% | END | 3 | With 72-Across, evasive strategy ... and a hint to the last several letters of the four longest Across answers |
| 43% | PUTINAGOODWORD | 14 | Recommend, with "for," and a hint to the start of 20-, 25- and 44-Across |
| 43% | SHOE | 4 | Piece of clothing with a tongue and a heel |
| 43% | HOCKEYSTICK | 11 | Piece of sporting equipment with a heel and a toe |
| 41% | CROCHET | 7 | Piece of needlework made by looping and intertwining thread with a hooked needle |
| 41% | FANFAREFORTHE | 13 | With 33 Across, P.D.Q. Bach piece with a lot of horn-blowing (and probably nose-blowing) |
| 41% | ITALIAN | 7 | With 55-Across, description of 23-, 36- and 44-Across |
| 40% | FISH | 4 | A part of this starts 17-, 30-, 48- and 63-Across |
| 40% | SWAN | 4 | With 36-Across, Tchaikovsky ballet that was a highlight of 18- and 46-Across's long professional partnership |
| 40% | ESS | 3 | Part of a long and winding road? |
| 39% | SHIRT | 5 | Western ___, piece of men's clothing with a stylized yoke on the front and back |
| 39% | ASSETMANAGER | 12 | Adviser concerned with the starts of 20-, 31- and 44-Across |
| 39% | FOURHCLUBS | 10 | Youth groups ... with a hint to 17-, 28- and 44-Across |
| 39% | ORONO | 5 | With 44-Across, home of a major Northeast university |
| 39% | TRADITIONAL | 11 | With 49- and 69-Across, a hint to the meanings of the bracketed clues |
| 39% | EIEIO | 5 | "Old MacDonald" refrain, and a feature of the five longest Across answers |
| 39% | ALL | 3 | With 36-Down and 38-Across, Blink-182 hit song, and a description of four long answers in this puzzle |
| 38% | NORTHERN | 8 | With 44-Across, birthplace of Rory McIlroy and Jamie Dornan |
| 38% | KNICKKNACK | 10 | With 44-Across, part of a children's song refrain |
| 38% | BONNIE | 6 | With 44-Across, female half of a 1930s crime duo |
| 38% | FULL | 4 | With 66-Across, back to the beginning ... or a description of 21- and 48-Down? |
| 38% | LEMUR | 5 | Primate of Madagascar and surrounding islands with a foxy face and long tail |
| 38% | SPANIEL | 7 | Any of several breeds of gundog with a silky coat and long ears |
| 38% | CARDHOLDER | 10 | One with credit ... or a literal hint to 17-, 27- and 44-Across |
| 38% | WEST | 4 | With 7- and 5-Across, 2021 film remake of a classic 1957 musical |