| 100% | ADIEU | 5 | Word repeated before "to you and you and you," in a show tune |
| 55% | WILD | 4 | Word repeated before "West" in a film and 1960s TV series |
| 50% | BAA | 3 | Word repeated before "black sheep," in a nursery rhyme that may be one of the first poems you learned |
| 50% | BOOM | 4 | Word repeated four times before “I want you in my room,” in a Vengaboys song |
| 49% | ADIEU | 5 | Word sung twice before "to you and you and you" |
| 49% | ASHES | 5 | Word before and after "to," in a religious phrase |
| 48% | LOOK | 4 | Change a word in this phrase to correct it! "Peep before you leap" |
| 48% | THINK | 5 | Change a word in this phrase to correct it! "Ponder before you speak" |
| 47% | TRY | 3 | Word repeated before "again," in a saying |
| 47% | TRY | 3 | Word repeated before ''again,'' in a saying |
| 47% | HIP | 3 | Word repeated before "hooray" in a cheer |
| 47% | RAISEEMUP | 9 | Words before a toast, and what you can do to the ends of the starred answers |
| 47% | PLEASE | 6 | Word repeated before "Me" in a Beatles hit |
| 47% | LYLE | 4 | Word repeated before "Crocodile" in a kidlit title |
| 46% | OUI | 3 | Word repeated before Marie in a 1918 song title |
| 46% | ICE | 3 | Word repeated before "Baby" in a hip-hop title |
| 46% | BAA | 3 | Word repeated before "black sheep" in a nursery rhyme |
| 46% | BAA | 3 | Word repeated before "black sheep," in a nursery rhyme |
| 46% | TWINKLE | 7 | Word repeated before "little star," in a nursery rhyme |
| 46% | TICK | 4 | Word repeated before "Boom!" in a 2021 movie musical title |
| 46% | KNOCK | 5 | Word repeated before "Who's there?" in a classic joke |
| 46% | EMOJI | 5 | Smiley you send in text messages, and a word added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2015 |
| 45% | NOTMYFIRSTRODEO | 15 | "Done this before, you know!" ... or a hint to the last words of 17-, 23-, 31-, 40- and 48-Across |
| 45% | SELFIE | 6 | A self-portrait photo you take on your phone, and a word added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2014 |
| 45% | STAY | 4 | "___ tuned! Solve the last words in the next 9 days and find a fun theme as you go along!" |
| 45% | TOP | 3 | Word before "Gear" and "Chef" in TV show titles |
| 45% | SUCH | 4 | Word found before and after "and," in a phrase |
| 45% | WERE | 4 | Word before "here" and "queer" in a pride slogan |
| 45% | EATNO | 5 | Words before fat and lean, in a nursery rhyme |
| 45% | NOR | 3 | Word before "rain," "heat" and "gloom of night" in a postal creed |