| 100% | PAPALBULL | 9 | Written letter or document by a Pope |
| 48% | ESSAY | 5 | Writing by John Locke or Alexander Pope |
| 48% | KEY | 3 | Letter or number struck by a typist |
| 45% | THEFATHER | 9 | "___ Christmas Letters," a collection of letters written by J.R.R. Tolkien that document the adventures of Santa and his helpers: 2 wds. |
| 44% | SOURCES | 7 | Documents or books used to write a history essay |
| 43% | CONTRACT | 8 | A written, binding document signed by both parties |
| 43% | MAKESOUT | 8 | Writes a check, somehow muddles by or alternately, necks passionately |
| 41% | LOSTART | 7 | Letter writing, they say ... or a hint to eight answers in this puzzle |
| 41% | HEAT | 4 | *Furnace output ... or a word made by changing one letter of 36a |
| 41% | INNER | 5 | Private ... or a hint to the words spelled by the circled letters |
| 40% | ENVELOPE | 8 | Sealed by licking or sticking, contains a letter |
| 40% | MEAN | 4 | *Far from friendly ... or a word made by changing one letter of 32a |
| 40% | BREAKABLES | 10 | Fragile articles ... or a hint to the things named by the circled letters |
| 40% | PARTYDOWN | 9 | Really revel ... or a hint to the words formed by the circled letters |
| 39% | MEAT | 4 | *Vegetarian's no-no ... or a word made by changing one letter of 34a |
| 39% | DEAL | 4 | *Pass out the cards ... or a word made by changing one letter of 25a |
| 39% | HEAD | 4 | *Top of the body ... or a word made by changing one letter of 19a |
| 39% | SPREADTHEWEALTH | 15 | Redistributionist's catchphrase ... or a hint to the words formed by the circled letters |
| 39% | FAREWELL | 8 | ___ Address, letter written by George Washington as a parting message to the citizens of USA |
| 39% | ULRIC | 5 | First saint canonized by a pope |
| 39% | DAYBREAK | 8 | First light ... or a phenomenon suggested by this puzzle's seven sets of circled letters? |
| 39% | THU | 3 | Abbr. for a word also with abbrs. by its first four or first five letters |
| 38% | MEAL | 4 | *Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, e.g. ... or a word made by changing one letter of 27a |
| 38% | DEAD | 4 | *Out of juice, as a phone ... or a word made by changing one letter of 23a |
| 38% | SPELL | 5 | Write letters for a while |
| 37% | ULRIC | 5 | First saint canonized by a pope, in 993 |
| 37% | AIRMAIL | 7 | Letters or postage sent by plane |
| 37% | BETWEENTHE | 10 | With 38-Across, 2015 memoir by Ta-Nehisi Coates written as a letter to his son: 2 wds. |
| 37% | SAINTS | 6 | People who've been officially sanctified by a Pope |
| 37% | SAINT | 5 | Ulrich was the first one created by a pope |