| 100% | HELLER | 6 | Author of "Something Happened," 1974 |
| 76% | JOSEPHHELLER | 12 | Author of the novels Something Happened and God Knows |
| 65% | ODDS | 4 | Chances of something happening |
| 65% | INCIDENCE | 9 | Instance of something happening |
| 65% | PROSPECT | 8 | Chance of something happening |
| 65% | ODDS | 4 | Likelihood of something happening |
| 63% | NIL | 3 | Nonexistent, as chances of something happening |
| 63% | CHANCE | 6 | Likelihood, the possibility of something happening |
| 62% | ODDS | 4 | Probability of something happening; What are the ___? |
| 62% | ARE | 3 | "What ___ the odds?" (chance of something happening) |
| 60% | TOMSHARPE | 9 | Author of 1974 satirical novel Porterhouse Blue |
| 59% | OMEN | 4 | Sign of something about to happen |
| 59% | OMEN | 4 | Sign of something bad to happen |
| 59% | ANXIETY | 7 | Fear of something that might happen |
| 59% | BENCHLEY | 8 | Peter —, author of 1974 novel Jaws |
| 58% | SHORTERMEMORY | 13 | Recollection of something that just happened, concisely? |
| 57% | ONIT | 4 | "I wouldn't bet ___!" (very less chance of something happening): 2 wds. |
| 55% | ORWELLIAN | 9 | Author adjective; like something out of 1984 |
| 53% | SCENE | 5 | ___ of the crime (place where something illegal happened) |
| 53% | BRADBURY | 8 | Author of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" |
| 52% | HAROLDKUSHNER | 13 | Author of the self-help book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People": 2 wds. |
| 51% | BING | 4 | Stanley —, author of novels Lloyd: What Happened, Immortal Life and You Look Nice Today |
| 51% | PIRSIG | 6 | Robert M —, author of 1974 autobiographical novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance |
| 51% | NEWBY | 5 | P H —, author of 1969 inaugural Booker Prize-winning novel Something to Answer For |
| 47% | HERRIOT | 7 | James —, author of semi-autobiographical novels It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet and Vets Might Fly |
| 47% | RUARK | 5 | "Something of Value" author Robert |
| 46% | OVID | 4 | Author of "Metamorphoses" |
| 46% | URIS | 4 | Author of ''Topaz'' |
| 46% | VOLTAIRE | 8 | Author of "Candide" |
| 46% | CLARKE | 6 | Author of ''2001 . . .'' |