| 100% | BABA | 4 | Ali, who told of 40 thieves in Arabian tale |
| 41% | ALIBABA | 7 | Defeater of 40 thieves, in a legend: 2 wds. |
| 39% | JAVIERBARDEM | 12 | "Skyfall" villain portrayer who plays Captain Salazar in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales": 2 wds. |
| 36% | IDIOT | 5 | One who tells a tale full of sound and fury, per Macbeth |
| 35% | SUMMONER | 8 | Tells tale of a shady friar in a Chaucer Tale |
| 35% | OMAR | 4 | Actor who played Sherif Ali in "Lawrence of Arabia" |
| 35% | IRONMAN | 7 | Marvel hero who debuted in Tales of Suspense 39 |
| 34% | TED | 3 | The character who tells the story of his life in "How I Met Your Mother" |
| 33% | ALI | 3 | Outwitter of 40 thieves |
| 33% | MUHAMMAD | 8 | ___ Ali, former professional boxer who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 |
| 33% | ROCS | 4 | Fliers in Arabian tales |
| 33% | TWEETYBIRD | 10 | Cartoon canary who first appeared in 1942's A Tale of Two Kitties |
| 33% | GEOFFREYRUSH | 12 | "Shine" actor who plays Captain Hector Barbossa in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales": 2 wds. |
| 33% | ORLANDOBLOOM | 12 | "Troy" actor who plays Captain Will Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales": 2 wds. |
| 32% | JOHNSINGLETON | 13 | Director of 18-Across and 40-Across who passed away in 2019 (2 wds.) |
| 32% | ALIBABA | 7 | Character who stole from forty thieves, in a legendary tale |
| 32% | AUTOLYCUS | 9 | Petty thief in William Shakespeare play The Winter's Tale named after a grandfather of Odysseus in Greek mythology |
| 31% | IMAN | 4 | Model who told of Somalia's plight |
| 31% | GERARDBUTLER | 12 | "Den of Thieves" actor who plays Secret Service agent Mike Banning in "Angel Has Fallen" (2 wds.) |
| 31% | ISAIAH | 6 | Prophet who told of the Messiah's coming |
| 31% | SULLIVANJONES | 13 | "The Gilded Age" actor who plays Muhammad Ali in a 2023 biopic about 40-Across (2 wds.) |
| 31% | PROPHET | 7 | Person who tells of the messiah to come |
| 31% | CARIBBEAN | 9 | "Pirates of the ___: Dead Men Tell No Tales," a film in which Bardem played Captain Armando Salazar |
| 30% | AESOP | 5 | Slave who told tales |
| 30% | OLDWIVES | 8 | People who tell tales? |
| 30% | WILLSMITH | 9 | "Men in Black" actor who played the role of Oscar in the animated film "Shark Tale": 2 wds |
| 30% | WHATSMYNAME | 11 | Fairy tale question whose answer is spelled out in the starts of 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across |
| 30% | MAUDEAPATOW | 11 | "This Is 40" actress who plays 30-Across's sister in "The King of Staten Island": 2 wds. |
| 30% | LIARS | 5 | People who tell tall tales |
| 30% | KEVINCOSTNER | 12 | "Dances With Wolves" actor who plays Robin Hood in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (2 wds.) |