| 100% | JONAHANDTHEWHALE | 16 | Bible story that begins with "a mighty tempest in the sea" |
| 48% | SAWIV | 5 | 2007 horror installment that begins with a microcassette being found in the stomach of the villain |
| 43% | ANNABELLEE | 10 | Classic poem that begins "It was many and many a year ago / In a kingdom by the sea" |
| 43% | CROUCHEND | 9 | Area in the London Borough of Haringey that shares its name with a 1980 Stephen King short story |
| 42% | AMISTAD | 7 | 1997 movie that begins with a mutiny on the titular ship |
| 42% | MAKEHAPPY | 9 | Bo Burnham special that begins with a video of him in clown makeup |
| 40% | AARON | 5 | Man with a rod, in the Bible |
| 40% | WHALE | 5 | Big blower in the sea with a "hoppy beverage" hidden in its name |
| 40% | CHARLOTTE | 9 | In the story, the spider who's friends with a pig |
| 39% | TEMPEST | 7 | Shakespeare play that begins with a storm, with "The" |
| 39% | ISLAND | 6 | *Sun-soaked vacation spot in the sea with a hushed "s" in its name |
| 39% | EPSON | 5 | Company that began with the development of a printing timer for the 1964 Olympics |
| 39% | STOAT | 5 | Mammal with a coat that changes color in the winter |
| 38% | THEFONZ | 7 | Sitcom character with a leather jacket that's now in the Smithsonian |
| 38% | ANNABEL | 7 | With 13-Down, titular maiden in a Poe poem that begins, "It was many and many a year ago, / In a kingdom by the sea" |
| 38% | XCHANGESTUDENT | 14 | Pupil with a phonetic beginning that hints at what the circled letters comprise |
| 38% | KAFTAN | 6 | Long, flowing top with a bohemian vibe that originated in the Middle East |
| 37% | CHANGE | 6 | Autobiographical novel by Édouard Louis that begins with the intention “to fix the past in writing” (March, 2024) |
| 37% | MONKEES | 7 | Band that originated in a 1960s sitcom, with The |
| 37% | GENESIS | 7 | Bible book that begins, "In the beginning ..." |
| 37% | COG | 3 | ___ in the machine, phrase associated with machines that means "small part of a large organization" |
| 37% | ANKH | 4 | Cross with a loop on the top that often appears in Egyptian personal names |
| 37% | FUNNYBONE | 9 | Spot in the elbow with a nerve that's "shocking" when struck: 2 wds. |
| 37% | TCI | 3 | Cable co. that merged with A.T. & T. in the nineties |
| 37% | OMOO | 4 | Novel that begins with a mutiny |
| 37% | RIVERDANCE | 10 | Show that begins with a reel |
| 37% | MEAD | 4 | Beverage that begins with a bee? |
| 37% | PESACH | 6 | Holiday that begins with a Seder |
| 37% | ATOMICAGE | 9 | Period that began with a bang? |
| 37% | POC | 3 | Abbreviation with a variant preceded by “BI” that gained popularity in the summer of 2020 |