| 100% | GOODBYE | 7 | Accept the sudden loss of, as an opportunity |
| 44% | PASSUP | 6 | Not take advantage of, as an opportunity |
| 44% | SEIZE | 5 | Grab hold of, as an opportunity |
| 44% | NASAL | 5 | As an alternative, left of the nose |
| 42% | LEAPAT | 6 | Accept with enthusiasm, as an opportunity |
| 41% | LEAPAT | 6 | Accept with enthusiasm, as an opportunity (2 wds.) |
| 41% | TRIO | 4 | An act of three, such as the Bee Gees |
| 41% | BAM | 3 | The sound of an impact, as in comic books |
| 41% | REALISM | 7 | The practice of accepting a situation as it is |
| 41% | PARE | 4 | Remove, as the skin of an apple |
| 41% | HONE | 4 | Whet, as the blade of an axe |
| 41% | EDIT | 4 | Modify, as the draft of an article |
| 40% | APHERESIS | 9 | Loss of a sound at the start of a word, as "opossum" to "possum" |
| 40% | TEDCRUZ | 7 | Senator who once served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review |
| 40% | BALI | 4 | An Indonesian island known as the "Island of the Gods" |
| 40% | DILATE | 6 | Get larger, as the pupil of an eye |
| 40% | SMOTE | 5 | Struck, as with the jawbone of an ass |
| 40% | ASTOR | 5 | Nancy —, first woman to sit as an MP in the House of Commons |
| 39% | SNUB | 4 | Lack of an expected nomination, as at the Oscars |
| 39% | AGREESON | 8 | Mutually accepts, as the terms of a contract: 2 wds. |
| 38% | APOCRYPHA | 9 | Books included as an appendix to the Old Testament in certain versions of the Bible |
| 38% | COLDFEET | 8 | Sudden loss of courage |
| 38% | DISMAY | 6 | Sudden loss of courage |
| 38% | SAG | 3 | Dip in the middle, as the roof of an old shack |
| 38% | CONTINENTS | 10 | Topic of the mnemonic "Eat An Apple As A Nighttime Snack" |
| 38% | TUNED | 5 | Adjusted the pitch of, as an instrument |
| 38% | PARE | 4 | Remove the skin of, as an apple |
| 38% | EDIT | 4 | Change the wording of, as an article |
| 38% | REFRAME | 7 | Change the focus of, as an argument |