| 100% | KNUD | 4 | & 5D Greenland-born Danish polar explorer who died in 1933 |
| 52% | BYRD | 4 | Richard E —, US aviator and polar explorer who died in 1957 |
| 42% | NANSEN | 6 | Fridtjof —, Norwegian explorer who died in 1930 |
| 42% | NANSEN | 6 | Fridtjof —, Norwegian arctic explorer who died in 1930 |
| 42% | PEARY | 5 | Robert —, US Arctic explorer who died in 1920 |
| 41% | WEDDELL | 7 | James —, Ostend-born navigator and Antarctic explorer who died in 1834 |
| 40% | LIVINGSTONE | 11 | David —, Scottish missionary and explorer who died in Africa in 1873 |
| 40% | COLUMBUS | 8 | Christopher —, navigator and explorer who died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506 |
| 40% | COLUMBUS | 8 | Christopher -, navigator and explorer who died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506 |
| 40% | COLUMBUS | 8 | Christopher —, navigator and explorer who died in Valladolid, Spain in 1506 |
| 40% | COUSTEAU | 8 | Jacques —, French naval officer and underwater explorer who died in 1997 |
| 38% | OATES | 5 | Lawrence —, explorer who died in 1912 on the second Antarctic expedition of R F Scott |
| 33% | JOHNCENA | 8 | "Blockers" actor who voices a polar bear in 33-Across (2 wds.) |
| 32% | HEATH | 5 | Ted —, London-born bandleader who died in 1969 |
| 32% | SCALIA | 6 | Justice who died in 2016 |
| 32% | LEOII | 5 | Pope who died in 683 |
| 32% | FIDEL | 5 | Castro who died in 2016 |
| 32% | NERO | 4 | Emperor who died in 68 |
| 32% | BREL | 4 | Jacques —, Belgium-born songwriter and performer who died in 1978 |
| 32% | PULITZER | 8 | Joseph —, Hungary-born American newspaper publisher who died in 1911 |
| 32% | ELCID | 5 | Spanish hero who died in 1099 |
| 32% | ALI | 3 | Boxer Muhammad who died in 2016 |
| 32% | HELM | 4 | Musician Levon who died in 2012 |
| 32% | ETTA | 4 | Singer ___ James who died in 2012 |
| 32% | PAT | 3 | Novelist Conroy who died in March |
| 32% | ALI | 3 | Boxing legend who died in 2016 |
| 32% | GENE | 4 | Actor Wilder who died in August |
| 32% | MICHELLE | 8 | __ Lang, journalist who died in Afghanistan |
| 32% | GLENN | 5 | Astronaut John who died in 2016 |
| 32% | ELI | 3 | Actor Wallach who died in 2014 |