| 100% | JAKE | 4 | CNN's "The Lead with ___ Tapper" |
| 76% | JAKE | 4 | "The Lead With ___ Tapper" (CNN show) |
| 65% | CNN | 3 | "The Lead With Jake Tapper" channel |
| 64% | CNN | 3 | "The Lead with Jake Tapper" news channel |
| 64% | CNN | 3 | "The Lead With Jake Tapper" cable channel |
| 63% | CNN | 3 | "The Lead with Jake Tapper" broadcast channel: Abbr. |
| 57% | SCARLETT | 8 | Gone with the Wind's lead character |
| 53% | ROCK | 4 | With 7-Across, the name of one of Led Zeppelin's greatest hits, "___ & ___" |
| 53% | ROLL | 4 | With 2-Down, the name of one of Led Zeppelin's greatest hits, "___ & ___" |
| 52% | IGGYPOP | 7 | Lead singer with the Stooges |
| 52% | UPONE | 5 | With the narrowest of leads |
| 52% | ALVIN | 5 | Lead-singing rodent with the Chipmunks |
| 51% | TOMPETTY | 8 | Lead singer with backing band the Heartbreakers |
| 50% | RHETT | 5 | Leading role in "Gone With the Wind" |
| 50% | ITINA | 5 | Memoir that led to the movie "What's Love Got to Do With It" |
| 50% | SHANGCHI | 8 | The protagonist of Marvel's first movie with an Asian lead |
| 50% | JAKE | 4 | "State of the Union With ___ Tapper" |
| 49% | FLOWERS | 7 | Brandon __, lead singer with the Killers |
| 49% | URUGUAY | 7 | S. American country with the longest anthem |
| 49% | SCORPIO | 7 | Zodiac starts with the letter S |
| 49% | STAR | 4 | One with the lead |
| 49% | LIV | 3 | With 27-Down, actress who's the daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer |
| 49% | RAPACE | 6 | Noomi ___, lead actress of 2009's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" |
| 49% | CLAVICLE | 8 | S-shaped bone between with the sternum and scapula |
| 48% | GARCIA | 6 | Jerry __, lead singer with the Grateful Dead |
| 48% | STAR | 4 | Actor with the lead role |
| 48% | STAR | 4 | One with the lead role |
| 48% | STONES | 6 | Rock band with lead singer Jagger, The Rolling __ |
| 48% | POLICE | 6 | English rock band The __, with lead vocalist Sting |
| 47% | PONCHO | 6 | S. American top with a slit for the head |