| 100% | TACOENO | 7 | ... Looking back on it, the best part of that game was when composer Brian gave you a Tex-Mex treat. That's why we called him ___.
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| 34% | ELFFUR | 6 | ... Looking back on it, I'm glad I bought that and not the ___. Luxurious Santa is a bad look!
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| 34% | DRAGGAL | 7 | ... Looking back on it, the driver was a ___. You'd think she'd have moved faster since she loves car racing!
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| 32% | WOLFNEVE | 8 | ... Looking back on it, I wish it were called "___." A song about actress Campbell howling at the moon would be awesome.
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| 31% | EVILAMI | 7 | ... Looking back on it, he actually cried "___." He was warning us about a wicked French friend!
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| 31% | SONDHEIM | 8 | Composer who wrote, about crosswords, "A good clue can give you all the pleasures of being duped that a mystery story can" |
| 30% | ROTCART | 7 | ... Looking back on it, it was more like a ___ since it could only haul fruit that decayed.
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| 28% | DEBTALF | 7 | ... Looking back on it, it's weird the rental company was named ___. What does an ET owing money have to do with trucks?
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| 28% | SIRRON | 6 | ... Looking back on it, it was actually the director ___ Howard. He was just knighted.
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| 28% | OVEN | 4 | "why do they call it ___ when you of in the cold food of out hot eat the food" (nonsensical tweet that became a meme) |
| 28% | PORCHSAC | 8 | ... Looking back on it, I should've invested in a ___ instead. Veranda plant pouches are hot right now!
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| 27% | COTTON | 6 | ___ Bowl, annual NCAA game which shares its name with a type of fabric and that you may have watched on New Year's Day this year |
| 27% | TWEETS | 6 | Social media posts like @dril's "awfully bold of you to fly the Good Year blimp on a year that has been extremely bad thus far" |
| 27% | BURN | 4 | "We'll ___ that bridge when we get to it," example of 50a that predicts a mess in the future |
| 27% | DES | 3 | ___ Moines, Iowa's capital that is a major center of the US insurance industry |
| 26% | DIAMOND | 7 | "Shine On You Crazy ___," 1975 Pink Floyd song that was a tribute to the band's co-founder Syd Barrett |
| 26% | GOTTA | 5 | "Something's ___ Give," 2005 LeAnn Rimes song that was featured on the US Billboard Hot 100 |
| 25% | DOWN | 4 | "I am reading a book on the history of glue. It's impossible to put ___!" |
| 25% | DONT | 4 | "___ Panic," Coldplay song that was initially a part of the band's second EP, "The Blue Room" |
| 25% | WGA | 3 | Org. that went on strike over what its leaders called “existential issues,” including residuals and the use of generative A.I. (May-September, 2023) |
| 25% | SUGAR | 5 | ___ Bowl, annual NCAA game which shares its name with a sweetener and that you may have watched on New Year's Day this year |
| 25% | BED | 3 | A word that, when written lowercase, looks like the piece of furniture that it represents |
| 24% | STANDINGO | 9 | What it's called when you get a rise out of an audience, for short? |
| 24% | POET | 4 | Profession that, when its last letter is removed, becomes the surname of a noted practitioner |
| 24% | PEACH | 5 | ___ Bowl, annual NCAA game which shares its name with a cobbler fruit and that you may have watched on New Year's Day this year |
| 24% | ORANGE | 6 | ___ Bowl, annual NCAA game which shares its name with a citrus fruit and that you may have watched on New Year's Day this year |
| 24% | JOB | 3 | Dream ___, work or company that you've wanted to be a part of forever! |
| 23% | SEX | 3 | "Physics is like ___: Sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it" (quote attributed to Richard Feynman) |
| 23% | COMMA | 5 | English language punctuation that looks like , and is used to separate two parts of a sentence or two items on a list |
| 23% | RAWTIDE | 7 | ... Looking back on it, I could've avoided that fight if I hadn't mistyped that old TV western as "___."
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