| 100% | IDESOF | 6 | Words which could precede the 15th day of March, May, July or October in Roman times |
| 58% | IDES | 4 | 15th day of March, May, July and October in the ancient Roman calendar |
| 33% | CHRISTMAS | 9 | Word that can precede the starts of eight key words in this puzzle |
| 33% | FRENCH | 6 | Word that can precede the start of 20-, 35-, 43- or 58-Across |
| 32% | CORN | 4 | Word that can precede the start of 17- or 54-Across or 11- or 27-Down |
| 32% | IDES | 4 | Mid of the months March, May and July in Roman calendar |
| 32% | ICECREAM | 8 | Cold treat that can precede the last word of 18-, 23-, 40- or 50-Across |
| 31% | DAS | 3 | Word that can precede EFX or Racist to create the name of a hip-hop group |
| 31% | ASSOCIATE | 9 | Word which precedes "Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" in all cases except one |
| 29% | FOREFATHER | 10 | Ancestor ... or what the first word of seven answers in this puzzle can have? |
| 29% | POT | 3 | Word that may precede the beginning of 17-, 26-, 42- or 56-Across |
| 29% | INKLE | 5 | Company that created "80 Days" which was Time Magazine's Game of the Year in 2014 |
| 29% | IDES | 4 | The ___ of March (day in Roman calendar) |
| 29% | OPENHOUSE | 9 | Realtor's big day ... or what each word in the answers to the starred clues can do |
| 29% | HASH | 4 | Something you can buy at any time of day in Frank's Diner down on the corner |
| 29% | PICKUP | 6 | Learn ... or a word that can precede the ends of 20-, 29-, 44- and 53-Across |
| 28% | GHOST | 5 | Word game ... or a word that can precede the starts of 18-, 26-, 43- and 54-Across |
| 28% | GREATWHITE | 10 | Words that can precede the starts of 20-, 29- and 45-Across |
| 28% | LAW | 3 | Betteridge’s ___ of headlines (“Any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word ‘no’ ”) |
| 28% | BOOK | 4 | What you find in a library, or a word which can be used at the start of 20a, 25a, 35a, 48a, 55a, 31d, and 45d |
| 28% | FRENCH | 6 | Word that can precede the starts of 20-, 28-, 46- and 57-Across |
| 28% | SOMETHING | 9 | Word that can precede the starts of 18-, 20-, 53- and 58-Across |
| 27% | SHORT | 5 | Word that can precede the starts of the answers to the eight starred clues |
| 27% | BUTTERFLY | 9 | Word that can precede the starts of the answers to the five starred clues |
| 27% | SHEE | 4 | Fairy-like Irish being that lives underground or in an alternate universe and which is sometimes preceded by the word "ban" |
| 27% | PLAY | 4 | Word that can precede each half of the starred answers |
| 27% | BRAIN | 5 | Word that can precede the starts of 17-, 35- and 54-Across and 16-Down |
| 27% | DESIGNATED | 10 | Word that can precede the last parts of 17-Across and 10- and 25-Down |
| 27% | SKY | 3 | What can precede "rocket" or "scraper" in compound words |
| 27% | CALENDS | 7 | First day of the month in Ancient Roman calendar |