| 100% | LINKINGVERB | 11 | Word such as "be" ... or a punny description of the seven-letter word that can create new action words when its letters are inserted in the breaks of the circled action words |
| 40% | VICIOUSCYCLES | 13 | Hard patterns to break ... or a punny description of the climbs up the circled letters |
| 34% | RIGHTBETWEENTHE | 15 | With 67-Across, in a sudden and completely apparent way ... or a punny description of this puzzle's circled letters |
| 33% | ANAGRAM | 7 | A word or phrase that can be formed using the letters of another word |
| 32% | HIDDENGEM | 9 | Masterpiece waiting to be found ... or a hint to the words in the circled letters |
| 32% | ESS | 3 | Letter that can be added to the fronts of 4-, 6- and 7-Across to make new words |
| 32% | SOPRANINO | 9 | Term for a musical instrument such as a recorder or saxophone with the highest pitch of all those in its family |
| 32% | ETH | 3 | A letter in the Icelandic alphabet that can be described as a voiced or voiceless alveolar non-sibilant fricative |
| 32% | IMONAROLL | 9 | "Things could not be going better for me!" ... or a hint to the placement of the circled letters |
| 32% | FURNITUREASSEMBLY | 17 | Ikea task, and a task that can be applied to the sets of circled letters in this puzzle |
| 31% | BACKUPSINGER | 12 | One helping in a band ... or what can be found in each set of circled letters? |
| 31% | JUMPAROUND | 10 | House of Pain hit that begins "Pack it up, pack it in," and a description of each set of circled letters |
| 31% | SPINNINGTOPS | 12 | You can make them take turns, and a description of the circled letters |
| 31% | FOURWAYSTOPS | 12 | They can make you take turns, and a description of the circled letters |
| 31% | UREA | 4 | Substance that showed, in 1828, that something previously produced only as a by-product of life, could be created in the lab |
| 30% | YOUDONTSAY | 10 | "Is that so?," or a hint to the communication methods found in this puzzle's circled letters |
| 30% | AYE | 3 | Word that sounds like a letter of the alphabet that's not in it |
| 30% | DAS | 3 | Word that can precede EFX or Racist to create the name of a hip-hop group |
| 30% | LOOSECHANGE | 11 | It may be found under sofa cushions, or in the circled letters |
| 29% | ADDAMS | 6 | Surname of a family whose members can be found in nine rows in this puzzle ... and whose names contain circled letters that, reading down, spell a word describing them |
| 29% | BYHOOKORBYCROOK | 15 | Whatever it takes ... as hinted at in the arrangements of black squares around the circled letters |
| 29% | UNITEDSTATES | 12 | Country that will host the 2028 Olympics . . . and a collective description of the letter pair abbreviations in the starred clues' answers |
| 29% | PROTEINSHAKE | 12 | Post-workout nourishment, and a hint to what can be found in each set of circled letters |
| 29% | COINS | 5 | Items that can circulate or be tossed ... as illustrated in this puzzle's six sets of circles |
| 29% | CITED | 5 | Word that becomes its own synonym when RED is inserted between its first two letters |
| 29% | GOD | 3 | What each set of circled letters is, relative to the first word in its answer |
| 29% | JUSTHAVINGABALL | 15 | Living it up ... or a hint to the six groups of circled letters |
| 29% | EMCEE | 5 | Word shortened from a three-word phrase that can be further shortened by dropping its first, fourth and fifth letters |
| 29% | JUMP | 4 | Word that can precede each set of circled letters, forming a literal hint for entering certain answers in this puzzle |
| 29% | CHINA | 5 | Country that becomes a part of the face when its last letter is removed |