| 100% | PJOROURKE | 9 | "Holidays in Hell" humorist who passed away 2/15/2022 |
| 56% | LORETTALYNN | 11 | Country Music Hall of Fame singer-songwriter who passed away in 2022 (2 wds.) |
| 54% | PELE | 4 | Brazilian soccer legend who passed away in late 2022 |
| 53% | ANGELALANSBURY | 14 | British actress honored with Tony, Oscar, BAFTA, and SAG Lifetime Achievement awards who passed away in 2022 (2 wds.) |
| 48% | CAROLCHANNING | 13 | Singer/actress who passed away on January 15, 2019 (2 wds.) |
| 47% | BACHARACH | 9 | Songwriter Burt who passed away 2/8/2023 |
| 46% | JOHNSINGLETON | 13 | Director of 18-Across and 40-Across who passed away in 2019 (2 wds.) |
| 46% | JIMMYBUFFETT | 12 | Lead singer for the Coral Reefer Band who passed away in 2023 (2 wds.) |
| 45% | SUZANNESOMERS | 13 | 15-Across and "Step by Step" star who passed away in 2023 (2 wds.) |
| 45% | LOU | 3 | Rocker Reed who passed away in 2013 |
| 45% | TERI | 4 | Actor Garr who passed away in 2024 |
| 44% | DON | 3 | Insult comic Rickles who passed away in 2017 |
| 44% | CLEM | 4 | Blondie drummer Burke who passed away in 2025 |
| 44% | LEAMICHELE | 10 | "Glee" star who played the main character in the 2022 Broadway revival of 15-Across: 2 wds. |
| 44% | ANNAN | 5 | Kofi ____, Nobel Prize recipient who passed away in 2018 |
| 44% | DMX | 3 | "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" rapper who passed away in 2021 |
| 44% | EARL | 4 | James ___ Jones (actor who passed away in September, 2024) |
| 43% | JANELYNCH | 9 | "Glee" costar who played the main character's mother in the 2022 Broadway revival of 15-Across: 2 wds. |
| 43% | PELE | 4 | Brazilian soccer great who passed away at the end of 2022 |
| 43% | STAN | 4 | ___ Lee, popular Marvel comic book writer who passed away in 2018 |
| 43% | CLEO | 4 | ___ Laine, famed British jazz singer who passed away in July 2025 |
| 42% | ENGEL | 5 | "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" actress Georgia who passed away in 2019 |
| 41% | PAUL | 4 | ___ Walker, "Fast and the Furious" star who passed away in a car crash |
| 41% | LOUISGOSSETTJR | 14 | "An Officer and a Gentleman" Oscar winner who passed away in 2024 (3 wds.) |
| 40% | GEORGIA | 7 | ___ Engel, Emmy-winning actress from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" who passed away in 2019 |
| 40% | RICOCASEK | 9 | Lead singer of The Cars who passed away September 15, 2019 (2 wds.) |
| 40% | MORRISON | 8 | Toni ___, Nobel laureate behind works like "The Bluest Eye" and "Home" who passed away in 2019 |
| 39% | TONIMORRISON | 12 | 1993 Nobel Laureate in Literature who passed away August 5, 2019 (2 wds.) |
| 38% | JUDELAW | 7 | "Cold Mountain" actor who stars in 15-Across: 2 wds. |
| 38% | UMATHURMAN | 10 | "Pulp Fiction" actress who stars in 15-Across: 2 wds. |