| 100% | PANETTA | 7 | Hagel's predecessor at Defense |
| 51% | HAGEL | 5 | Panetta's successor at Defense |
| 50% | RENO | 4 | Ashcroft's predecessor at Justice |
| 50% | PAAR | 4 | Carson's predecessor at NBC |
| 50% | PAULSON | 7 | Geithner's predecessor at Treasury |
| 50% | EISNER | 6 | Iger's predecessor at Disney |
| 48% | XII | 3 | I's predecessor, at times |
| 47% | OZAWA | 5 | Levine's predecessor at the Boston Symphony Orchestra |
| 46% | KOFIANNAN | 9 | Ban Ki-moon's predecessor at the U.N. |
| 45% | JACKPAAR | 8 | Johnny Carson's predecessor at "The Tonight Show": 2 wds. |
| 36% | TBAR | 4 | Chairlift predecessor, at some ski resorts |
| 35% | ARTS | 4 | Defense Against the Dark ___ (class at Hogwarts) |
| 35% | NATO | 4 | Defense org. with 12 members, at first |
| 34% | ARTS | 4 | Defense Against the Dark ___ (subject taught at Hogwarts) |
| 34% | USMARINES | 9 | Trainees at Parris Island, S.C. |
| 33% | LATEFORDINNER | 13 | "Tardy at Eight" by George S. Kaufman |
| 32% | HIRAM | 5 | Ulysses S. Grant’s first name at birth |
| 32% | HIRAM | 5 | Ulysses S. Grant's given name at birth |
| 31% | ELWORTHY | 8 | S —, South Africa cricketer; 1998 Test debutant against England at Nottingham |
| 31% | TAIT | 4 | S W —, 2005 Australia Test cricket debutant against England at Nottingham |
| 31% | AND | 3 | The s___ at the beach can get quite hot |
| 31% | PLURALS | 7 | Generally, words with an added s at the end |
| 31% | ICECAP | 6 | Permanent covering of frozen snow at the S Pole |
| 31% | INKY | 4 | Like an octopus's defense |
| 30% | TAFT | 4 | Wilson's predecessor |
| 30% | VON | 3 | Bismarck's predecessor |
| 30% | BEAME | 5 | Koch's predecessor |
| 30% | NERO | 4 | Galba's predecessor |
| 30% | CAREY | 5 | Cuomo's predecessor |
| 30% | MOORE | 5 | Dalton's predecessor |