| 100% | AARDVARK | 8 | African mammal that's first in the dictionary |
| 79% | AARDVARK | 8 | Long-nosed mammal that's first in the dictionary |
| 47% | WHALE | 5 | Mammal that swallowed Pinocchio in the movie |
| 47% | ERSE | 4 | Word in the "crosswordese dictionary" that's often clued as "Scottish Gaelic" |
| 47% | HIPPO | 5 | River mammal that attacks the boats in Disneyland's Jungle Cruise ride |
| 46% | ERIE | 4 | Great Lake that's usually the first to freeze in winter |
| 46% | AARDVARK | 8 | Animal that comes first in the alphabet |
| 46% | AARDVARK | 8 | First animal in the dictionary |
| 46% | AERO | 4 | Prefix that's at the start of the first "A" in "NASA" |
| 46% | MEERKATS | 8 | Highly social African mammals that appear in "Life of Pi" |
| 45% | ZIMBABWE | 8 | African country that comes last in the alphabet |
| 44% | SOVIET | 6 | The first S in USSR |
| 44% | ALA | 3 | Southern state that's first alphabetically in a list of the 50 states: Abbr. |
| 44% | MONGOOSE | 8 | African mammal that's resistant to snake venom |
| 44% | DOLPHIN | 7 | Highly intelligent mammal that lives in the ocean |
| 44% | ALBANIA | 7 | European country that comes first in the alphabet |
| 44% | TOOTH | 5 | First ___, milestone that might mark the start of solid food in a baby's diet |
| 44% | ZULU | 4 | South African tribe that's found near the back of the dictionary |
| 43% | RAT | 3 | Rodent that's the first animal in the Chinese zodiac |
| 43% | DOH | 3 | "The Simpsons" exclamation that's been in the Oxford English Dictionary since 2001 |
| 43% | ZYZZYVA | 7 | Insect that's the last word in the Scrabble Players Dictionary |
| 43% | AZALEA | 6 | Last flower in the first section of a botanical dictionary |
| 43% | VENUSWILLIAMS | 13 | First African-American woman to hold the world #1 ranking in tennis's Open era: 2 wds. |
| 43% | SELF | 4 | The first "S" in S.A.S.E. |
| 43% | SOV | 3 | The first "S" in S.S.R.: Abbr. |
| 42% | ELEPHANT | 8 | Tusked mammal that appears on the South African 20-rand note |
| 42% | INTHEWOODS | 10 | 2007 novel that's the first volume in 43-Across's Dublin Murder Squad mystery series (3 wds.) |
| 42% | INTHEWOODS | 10 | 2007 novel that's the first volume in 43-Across's "Dublin Murder Squad" mystery series (3 wds.) |
| 41% | SELFPASS | 8 | Action that’s illegal in basketball unless the ball touches the backboard, the hoop, or another player first |
| 41% | GUION | 5 | Astronaut ___ Bluford, the first African-American in space |