| 100% | THERE | 5 | "You had to be ___" |
| 100% | ANTE | 4 | You have to be upfront with it |
| 100% | ANTE | 4 | You have to be upfront about this |
| 99% | THERE | 5 | "I guess you had to be ___" |
| 98% | BEE | 3 | You have to be letter-perfect to win one |
| 94% | ASK | 3 | "All you had to do was ___" |
| 91% | KAHN | 4 | "It Had to Be You" lyricist |
| 91% | AGELIMIT | 8 | Restriction on how old you have to be to do something: 2 wds. |
| 90% | STAY | 4 | "All You Had to Do Was ___" (Taylor Swift song) |
| 90% | ISHAM | 5 | "It Had to Be You" composer ___ Jones |
| 90% | KAHN | 4 | "It Had to Be You" lyricist Gus |
| 90% | ISHAM | 5 | "It Had to Be You" composer Jones |
| 89% | LOVELETTERS | 11 | What you have to do to be a crossword fan? |
| 89% | HARRY | 5 | "It Had to Be You" crooner Connick Jr. |
| 89% | HARRY | 5 | "It Had to Be You" crooner ___ Connick Jr. |
| 88% | AMERICANDREAM | 13 | “It’s called the ___ ’cause you have to be asleep to believe it”: George Carlin |
| 88% | ANNIEHALL | 9 | Title character who sings "It Had to Be You" |
| 86% | DIDNT | 5 | "You _____ Have to Be So Nice" |
| 85% | ALITTLEPATIENT | 14 | "You have to be ___," said the pediatrician |
| 82% | ANGST | 5 | Feeling you have when you think you're about to be fired |
| 79% | THERE | 5 | "You had to be ___" ("I guess retelling the joke is less funny") |
| 79% | SLEEVE | 6 | You might be said to have an ace up this |
| 78% | NOTALOT | 7 | "What have you been up to lately?" response |
| 76% | THICKSKIN | 9 | What you need to have to avoid being easily hurt |
| 76% | VEGAN | 5 | Someone you'd be unlikely to have a beef with? |
| 76% | GOT | 3 | "You have ___ to be kidding me!" |
| 75% | ALIST | 5 | Group that you might be eager to have as party guests |
| 75% | AREWEDONE | 9 | "Is that all you have to tell me?" |
| 74% | CAMEDUE | 7 | Had to be paid, say |
| 74% | NEEDS | 5 | You have to meet them! |