| 100% | RECLUSE | 7 | Howard Hughes, in later years |
| 60% | SENILE | 6 | Declining in later years |
| 58% | LIVERSPOT | 9 | Brown skin pigmentation, develops in later years |
| 57% | ELD | 3 | Later years, in former days |
| 57% | ONO | 3 | John Lennon's middle name, in later years |
| 55% | IKE | 3 | Barinholtz who played Hunter in last year's "Blockers" |
| 55% | OLDAGE | 6 | Dotage, later years in life |
| 54% | SRS | 3 | Last year's juniors, in high school: Abbr. |
| 54% | LIAMNEESON | 10 | Nels Coxman portrayer in last year's action thriller "Cold Pursuit" |
| 53% | IRAS | 4 | Financial reserves for later years, in brief |
| 53% | IRAS | 4 | Nest eggs for later years, in brief |
| 52% | IRA | 3 | Money set aside for later years, in brief |
| 52% | SAM | 3 | Actor Rockwell who played Bob Fosse in last year's miniseries "Fosse/Verdon" |
| 52% | IRAS | 4 | Savings plans for one's later years, in brief |
| 51% | FALL | 4 | Last full season in a calendar year |
| 50% | EVE | 3 | Actress Plumb who appeared as herself in last year's miniseries "A Very Brady Renovation" |
| 50% | TWA | 3 | Co. of which Howard Hughes became the principal shareholder in 1939 |
| 49% | KETT | 4 | Last name in the funnies for nearly 50 years |
| 49% | SYNE | 4 | Last word in the first song of the year |
| 49% | ERA | 3 | Pitching statistic that Shane Bieber led the league in last year, with a 1.63: Abbr. |
| 48% | ONE | 3 | Last number shouted in a New Year's Eve countdown |
| 47% | TUT | 3 | Howard Carter's archaeological discovery of 99 years ago, in short |
| 47% | SEPT | 4 | Last month in the U.S. government's fiscal year: Abbr. |
| 47% | SYNE | 4 | The last word in some New Year's poetry |
| 47% | GOOSE | 5 | Nickname of the plane, made mainly of birch, Howard Hughes built in 1947: "Spruce ___" |
| 46% | FIVE | 4 | Last digit in the New Year we're about to welcome: 2025 |
| 45% | NEE | 3 | Maryland slalom canoeist Ashley ___, who last year came 1st in the Extreme K1 world cup event |
| 44% | ALI | 3 | Actor Mahershala who's won two Oscars in the last three years |
| 44% | DEAF | 4 | Like Beethoven in his later years |
| 44% | NIM | 3 | Matchsticks game played in “Last Year at Marienbad” |