| 100% | INCA | 4 | In and around former empire |
| 88% | INCA | 4 | In and around a former empire |
| 75% | INCA | 4 | In and around old empire |
| 56% | INCA | 4 | In and around a Peruvian? |
| 53% | OTTOMAN | 7 | — Empire, name by which the former Turkish dynasty in Europe, Africa and Asia was also known |
| 53% | OTTOMAN | 7 | — Empire, name by which the former Turkish territory in Europe, Africa and Asia was also known |
| 53% | IOWASTATECYCLES | 15 | Transportation in and around Des Moines? |
| 52% | LOCAL | 5 | Produced in and around a town, say |
| 51% | SINOJAPANESEWAR | 15 | Historic conflict in and around the Yellow Sea |
| 50% | WHACAMOLE | 9 | Amusement park attraction depicted in and around this answer |
| 50% | INCA | 4 | Former empire in what is now Peru |
| 46% | INCA | 4 | Former South American empire centered in Cuzco |
| 46% | PERSIAN | 7 | Going spare in former empire |
| 46% | PERSIAN | 7 | Use spear in former empire |
| 46% | UTES | 4 | White River ___ (Native American band that settled in and around what's now Colorado) |
| 45% | ODOM | 4 | Former NBA player and Kardashian in-law Lamar ___ |
| 45% | IMRANKHAN | 9 | Former Pakistani cricket captain, and PM in 2018 |
| 45% | LOTT | 4 | Former minority whip in both the House and Senate |
| 44% | ELVINBISHOP | 11 | "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" singer, 1976 |
| 44% | SONNYBONO | 9 | Cher's former partner in life and music |
| 43% | ORLANDOJONES | 12 | Former Mad TV cast member who starred in Evolution and Drumline |
| 43% | SAXONY | 6 | State and former kingdom and duchy in east Germany |
| 43% | MONGOL | 6 | Person in a 13th- and 14th-century Asian empire |
| 43% | ELVINBISHOP | 11 | "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" hitmaker of 1976 |
| 43% | ODIE | 4 | Dog in the former TV cartoon "Garfield and Friends" |
| 43% | EDDY | 4 | Go around and around, in a way |
| 42% | CDS | 3 | Former music store purchases which were round and shiny in nature: Abbr. |
| 42% | ELI | 3 | Former quarterback Manning who was Super Bowl MVP in 2008 and 2012 |
| 42% | ATWAR | 5 | Like the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance, in science fiction |
| 42% | CHAMPAGNE | 9 | White sparkling wine produced around Reims and Epernay in France |