| 100% | CIA | 3 | Initialism for the federal US bureau created in 1947 to conduct espionage activities |
| 75% | CIA | 3 | Federal US bureau created in 1947 to conduct espionage activities |
| 29% | AVERAGEAGE | 10 | According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it's 63 for retirement |
| 27% | PRIMETIME | 9 | 8 to 11 p.m., for TV programming in the eastern and western US: 2 wds. |
| 27% | NPR | 3 | Media network for Susan Stamberg, the first woman to anchor a nightly news program in the U.S. |
| 27% | BEHAVE | 6 | To conduct yourself in the proper way |
| 27% | DST | 3 | Initialism for adjusting clocks in the spring |
| 26% | DST | 3 | Initialism for adjusting clocks in the spring/fall |
| 26% | DST | 3 | Initialism for spring clock adjustment in the USA |
| 26% | OBOE | 4 | Instrument in the intro to the Carpenters' "For All We Know" |
| 26% | RANCH | 5 | Creamy salad dressing created in the US |
| 25% | GSA | 3 | Federal property agency in the US |
| 25% | TRADING | 7 | Activity for folks in the pits? |
| 25% | ENTREE | 6 | French word for the main course, in the US |
| 25% | ABOIL | 5 | Ready for the pasta to be put in, perhaps |
| 25% | EMMYAWARD | 9 | US trophy for excellence in the TV industry |
| 25% | SUPREMECOURT | 12 | Highest federal court in the US |
| 24% | ELEVATORKEY | 11 | Firefighter's term for the secret to rising in the ranks? |
| 24% | POLLSTERS | 9 | Data collectors for the midterms (which we should all vote in!) |
| 24% | CIA | 3 | US espionage group featured in the Bourne movies: Abbr. |
| 24% | AMENDMENT | 9 | The 19th allowed women to vote in the US |
| 24% | DOE | 3 | US major funding agency, in addition to the NIH, responsible for getting the Human Genome Project rolling |
| 24% | HOE | 3 | Tool to create furrows in the garden |
| 24% | ESL | 3 | Class for newcomers to the U.S. |
| 24% | WCS | 3 | Spots to go in the U.K. |
| 24% | THU | 3 | Day for Thanksgiving in the U.S. |
| 24% | BOONEYARD | 9 | Spot for the "Love Letters in the Sand" singer to play croquet? |
| 24% | OHARE | 5 | Destination for the van that Kevin fails to board in "Home Alone" |
| 24% | MYERSON | 7 | Former Miss America who ran for the U.S. Senate in 1980 |
| 24% | PARALLEL | 8 | In 1818, Canada and the US agreed to the 49th __ |