| 100% | SARAH | 5 | Cincinnati Zoo cheetah that officially ran the 100 meters in 5.95 seconds in 2012 |
| 37% | EVELYNASHFORD | 13 | The first track and field athlete to run 100 meters under 11 seconds in an Olympic Games and who has won a total of 5 Olympic medals: 2 wds. |
| 27% | SKYFALL | 7 | 2012 Adele hit that was the first James Bond theme to debut in the top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 |
| 27% | ESSENCE | 7 | Magazine that annually runs the Black Women in Hollywood Awards |
| 27% | NIGHT | 5 | "One More ___," Maroon 5 song from their 2012 album "Overexposed" that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 9 weeks |
| 26% | NERD | 4 | Word coined by Dr. Seuss in "If I Ran the Zoo" that's now used to refer to stereotypically studious sorts |
| 26% | GAY | 3 | Tyson ___, American sprinter who competes in the 100 meters dash |
| 25% | OREO | 4 | Cookie that turned 100 in 2012 |
| 25% | OREO | 4 | Treat that turned 100 in 2012 |
| 25% | OREO | 4 | Nabisco cookie that turned 100 in 2012 |
| 25% | WAS | 3 | Horse that won the Oaks in 2012 |
| 25% | DONOVANBAILEY | 13 | Sprinter who set the world record of 9.84 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 1996 Olympics (2 wds.) |
| 25% | GIRLSLIKEYOU | 12 | Maroon 5 song featuring Cardi B that spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018 (3 wds.) |
| 25% | MAURICEGREENE | 13 | Sprinter who set the world record of 9.79 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 1999 World Championships (2 wds.) |
| 25% | CARLLEWIS | 9 | Sprinter who set the world record of 9.86 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 1991 World Championships (2 wds.) |
| 25% | USAINBOLT | 9 | Sprinter who set the world record of 9.58 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 2009 World Championships (2 wds.) |
| 24% | DODO | 4 | Flightless bird that runs the airline in Animal Crossing |
| 24% | TITO | 4 | Second-oldest brother in the Jackson 5 |
| 24% | NERD | 4 | Creature in Dr. Seuss's "If I Ran the Zoo" |
| 24% | NERD | 4 | Word reportedly coined in Seuss' "If I Ran the Zoo" |
| 24% | ONE | 3 | "___ Tree Hill" (series on The CW that ended in 2012) |
| 24% | KINESTHETIC | 11 | Beauty that runs in the family? |
| 24% | JILL | 4 | The Green Party's Stein who ran for president in 2012 and 2016 |
| 24% | BARBIE | 6 | Doll that ran for president for the first time in 1992 |
| 24% | OED | 3 | British reference that added the entry "super PAC" in 2012: Abbr. |
| 24% | INDIANAFEVER | 12 | Midwestern WNBA team that won the title in 2012: 2 wds. |
| 24% | HUSKY | 5 | Dog that runs in the Iditarod race |
| 24% | HUSKY | 5 | Dog breed that runs in the Iditarod |
| 23% | CESAR | 5 | ___ Cielo, Brazilian swimmer who holds the world record in 100 meters freestyle |
| 23% | SACS | 4 | Outs that advance the runner, in baseball lingo |