| 100% | THREE | 5 | With the circled letters, a literal depiction of what you need to win tic-tac-toe? |
| 38% | CUT | 3 | With the circled letters, a hint to solving seven Across clues |
| 36% | XXXXX | 5 | Largish combo (and a hint to the number of letters in each country that you'll need) |
| 36% | ANDY | 4 | "Toy Story" boy ... or, with the circled letters, a hint to 20-, 39- and 53-Across |
| 35% | TOE | 3 | What you might use to test the temperature of a bath |
| 34% | TRAVELINBAND | 12 | Creedence Clearwater Revival hit song with the lyrics "Seven thirty seven comin' out of the sky / Won't you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride" (2 wds.) |
| 34% | INSIDEVOICE | 11 | What you may use at a library, and what each row of circled letters reveals |
| 33% | THREEINAROW | 11 | Tic-tac-toe win ... or hint to the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 33% | UPLINK | 6 | What you need to talk to a satellite |
| 33% | RAISELOADSOFASH | 15 | What you have to do if you want to make a serious bid for king of the forest? |
| 32% | POD | 3 | What you need to split open to get the beans out |
| 32% | TEST | 4 | What you need to take to get a driver's license |
| 32% | AMAP | 4 | What you need to go on a treasure hunt: 2 wds. |
| 32% | REFORMPARTY | 11 | Political organization founded in 1995 by 35-Down ... and a literal hint to each set of circled letters |
| 32% | BEATIT | 6 | Michael Jackson hit ... or what you can do to the start of each answer to a starred clue |
| 32% | DOUBLEORNOTHING | 15 | Risky wager ... with a hint to the letters in this puzzle's circled squares |
| 32% | SKIPINTRO | 9 | Command to bypass a recap of prior episodes ... and what the puzzle circles do |
| 32% | SILENT | 6 | "You need to be ___ to listen," popular phrase with the anagram of "listen" |
| 31% | FOREIGNLANGUAGE | 15 | What's left when you remove the first and last letters of the answers to starred clues |
| 31% | LOOSE | 5 | With 62-Across, handyman's assortment, and a hint to what's in each set of circles |
| 31% | PARTNERS | 8 | With the circled letters, investors not involved in the management of their businesses |
| 31% | CHANGELANES | 11 | What you might do to pass on an Interstate ... or a phonetic hint to the starts of 18-, 28- and 50-Across |
| 31% | AMILLI | 6 | 2008 Lil Wayne hit with the lyric "Okay, you're a goon, but what's a goon to a goblin?" |
| 31% | LONE | 4 | 1994 Live hit with the lyric "And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate / To leave you there, by yourself" |
| 31% | THEMAN | 6 | Taylor Swift song with the lyric "Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you" |
| 31% | SPLIT | 5 | With 65-Across, chore on a winter to-do list ... and what appears in each set of circles |
| 31% | EMPTYCALORIES | 13 | What many junk foods contain ... with a hint to the initials of 17-, 25-, 48- and 56-Across |
| 31% | DOWN | 4 | (2/6) ... With 21a, the car won't start anymore. We need a bit of help! |
| 31% | LETMEGUESS | 10 | Words from someone with a good idea of what you’re about to say |
| 31% | SALT | 4 | 2010 film starring Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber...and what you'd use to garnish the rim of a 14a glass |