| 66% | LOOSE | 5 | With 72 Across, unfinished business |
| 64% | TENOR | 5 | Band instrument, with 72 Across |
| 63% | BUBBLEBUBBLE | 12 | With 72 Across, reason to call a plumber? |
| 63% | COCA | 4 | With 72 Across, soft drinks sold since 1886 |
| 63% | OTIS | 4 | With 72 Across, the King of Elevator Music? |
| 62% | FUNRUN | 6 | Race with no real losers |
| 54% | STAGE | 5 | With 72-Across, vaudevillian 40-Across |
| 54% | SEN | 3 | With 72-Across, former Va. official |
| 54% | ANDANTE | 7 | With 72-Across, Moderate tempo * Done |
| 54% | WHY | 3 | With 72-Across, “Actually, I do!” |
| 54% | HOT | 3 | With 72-Across, post-sledding mugful |
| 53% | SING | 4 | With 72-Across, noted maximum security prison |
| 52% | GEORGE | 6 | With 24 Across, loser of the first really serious pie fight? |
| 52% | MIND | 4 | With 72-Across, motto of a fitness trainer? |
| 52% | RED | 3 | With 72-Across, crisis condition on the Enterprise |
| 51% | AIR | 3 | With 72-Across, roll to one side, e.g. |
| 51% | MAUI | 4 | Island whose name rhymes with 72-Across |
| 50% | END | 3 | With 72-Across, evasive strategy ... and a hint to the last several letters of the four longest Across answers |
| 48% | DAILY | 5 | With 72-Across, the end of 20-, 37-, 44- or 59-Across |
| 48% | WORD | 4 | With 72-Across, what the answers on this puzzle's perimeter form |
| 47% | ALSORAN | 7 | Race loser |
| 47% | HARE | 4 | Race loser |
| 47% | BUTTHEBEST | 10 | When prefixed with 72-Across, what a friend wishes for you |
| 46% | FUN | 3 | With 59-Across, race that's not very competitive |
| 46% | MEMO | 4 | 72 Across communication |
| 45% | SMOKIN | 6 | With 62-Down, 40-Across loser's nickname |
| 44% | LALA | 4 | With 8-Across, loser to "Moonlight" for Best Picture |
| 44% | HEADLO | 6 | With 72-Down, hasty hurry |
| 44% | PER | 3 | With 72-Down, a pop |
| 43% | HARE | 4 | Fabled race loser |