| 100% | SKIPPING | 8 | With 59-Across, lakeside activity ... or a hint to the words spelled across the fifth, eighth and 11th rows of the completed grid |
| 47% | BANANA | 6 | With 37-Across, some ice cream confections … or a hint to the second, fifth, eleventh and fourteenth rows of this puzzle |
| 45% | HOLDIT | 6 | "Stop right there!" … or a hint to the first words of 17-, 23-, 47- and 59-Across |
| 42% | SECRET | 6 | With 46-Across, some areas in Clue … or a hint to the first, fourth, twelfth and fifteenth rows of this puzzle |
| 42% | HIVE | 4 | With 58-Across, collective consciousness ... or a hint to the ends of 19-, 35- and 52-Across |
| 41% | MAIL | 4 | With 37-Across, perform perfunctorily … or a hint to the ends of 16-, 25-, 41- and 55-Across |
| 41% | MIDDLE | 6 | With 44-Down, educational stage ... or a hint to the contents of 18-, 22-, 47- and 53-Across |
| 41% | SPLITENDS | 9 | Hair challenge … or a hint to the last words of 17-, 25-, 37- and 51-Across |
| 41% | IMONYOURSIDE | 12 | Words of full support, or a hint to the ends of 20-, 27-, 35- and 48-Across |
| 41% | PLAYINGWITHFIRE | 15 | Doing something risky ... or a hint to the last words of 18-, 24-, 49- and 58-Across |
| 41% | SAUSAGELINK | 11 | Breakfast side order ... or a hint to the last words of 18-, 23-, 34- and 49-Across |
| 40% | DIDYOUCATCHTHAT | 15 | "Someone say something?" or a hint to the ends of 18-, 20-, 54- and 59-Across |
| 40% | THEPLOTTHICKENS | 15 | "Now things are getting interesting" ... or a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 45- and 57-Across |
| 40% | FIGUREHEAD | 10 | Carved decoration on a ship's prow ... or a hint to the first word of 17-, 25-, 37- and 45-Across |
| 40% | HEY | 3 | With 61-Down, Jimi Hendrix's first single ... or a hint to the starts of 20-, 28-, 45- and 50-Across |
| 39% | YES | 3 | "That's correct" ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 28-, 45- and 59-Across, in different languages |
| 39% | NOTMYFIRSTRODEO | 15 | "Done this before, you know!" ... or a hint to the last words of 17-, 23-, 31-, 40- and 48-Across |
| 39% | MONEY | 5 | With 11-Down and 58-Across, aphorism about the effect of sudden wealth … or a hint to the answers to the starred clues |
| 39% | SEEMEAFTERCLASS | 15 | Ominous request from a teacher ... or a hint to the first words (and following letters!) of 17-, 26- and 43-Across |
| 39% | THERESNOTWO | 11 | With 64-Across, words of certainty ... or a hint to 23-, 40- and 56-Across |
| 38% | COLDOPEN | 8 | Start of each "S.N.L." episode ... or a hint to the initials of the words in 17-, 24-, 35- and 47-Across |
| 38% | INNER | 5 | Private ... or a hint to the words spelled by the circled letters |
| 38% | END | 3 | With 72-Across, evasive strategy ... and a hint to the last several letters of the four longest Across answers |
| 38% | FREEATLAST | 10 | Final words of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech ... or a hint to the endings of 17-, 24-, 39- and 49-Across |
| 38% | BEFOREHAND | 10 | Earlier ... or a hint to the words circled in 17-, 21-, 37- and 51-Across |
| 37% | SLANT | 5 | Incline (and a hint to the location in this completed puzzle of the first line of 9- & 59-Across) |
| 37% | ANIMAL | 6 | With 56-Across, lunchbox snacks ... or a hint to the black squares before 18-, 29-, 35- and 45-Across? |
| 37% | TOPBANANA | 9 | Head honcho, and a hint to the first word of 3-, 8-, 21-, or 24-Down |
| 37% | BARBERSHOP | 10 | With 63-Across, singing group ... or a hint to the ends of the answers to the four starred clues |
| 37% | FLYING | 6 | With 35-Across, complete success ... or a hint to 18-, 23-, 46- and 51-Across |