| 100% | SELFOWN | 7 | Attempted insult that backfires |
| 44% | SELFOWN | 7 | Takedown that backfires |
| 43% | SELFOWN | 7 | Burn that backfires, maybe |
| 42% | DIPSTICK | 8 | Insult that's also a measurement device |
| 39% | DARD | 4 | Insult that Kim Jong Un memorably used about Donald Trump |
| 37% | DISS | 4 | ___ track (song that insults someone) |
| 37% | SELFOWN | 7 | Attempted burn that gets you ratioed, e.g. |
| 37% | NOOFFENSEBUT | 12 | Annoying words that precede an insult |
| 37% | ZING | 4 | "I nailed you with that insult!" |
| 36% | BANKSHOT | 8 | Basketball attempt that hits the backboard |
| 36% | TRI | 3 | Prefix that sounds like an attempt |
| 36% | TRASHCANWETRASHTALK | 19 | Garbage receptacle that you and I insult? |
| 35% | HOOKSHOTS | 9 | Basket attempts that are difficult to block |
| 34% | NOTHINGPERSONAL | 15 | Words that may fail to soften an insult |
| 34% | HOOKSHOTS | 9 | Basketball scoring attempts that are difficult to block |
| 33% | SHADE | 5 | "Throw ___," internet slang that means to insult someone publicly |
| 33% | AETNA | 5 | Insurance giant that's attempting to merge with CVS |
| 33% | HITANDRUN | 9 | Baseball strategy that starts with a stolen base attempt |
| 33% | PLAINFOLKS | 10 | Propaganda technique that attempts to appeal to average Joes |
| 32% | LONGSHOT | 8 | Attempt that might have a one-in-a-million chance: 2 wds. |
| 32% | BACKATYOU | 9 | Remark that may immediately follow an insult or a compliment |
| 32% | AIRBALL | 7 | Basket attempt that goes nowhere near the rim (2 wds.) |
| 30% | MALARIA | 7 | Disease that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is attempting to eradicate |
| 29% | MEMORYWALL | 10 | Collection of short stories that 28-Across attempted to arrange "neurologically" (2 wds.) |
| 29% | NOKIA | 5 | Cellphone company that attempted to deploy a 4G LTE network on the moon |
| 28% | HARSH | 5 | “That was a highly insulting comment!” |
| 27% | TIPIN | 5 | Type of basket that might be attempted with 0.1 seconds on the shot clock |
| 27% | CNN | 3 | Channel that debuted in 1980 with a story about an assassination attempt on Vernon Jordan |
| 27% | LIMIT | 5 | "Vertical ___," 2000 survival film that follows a team who attempt to climb the K2 summit |
| 26% | SLAP | 4 | "That was a ___ in the face" (an insult) |