| 100% | SHAFT | 5 | Private investigator played by Richard Roundtree |
| 94% | SHAFT | 5 | Fictional private investigator played by Richard Roundtree |
| 52% | REACHER | 7 | Lee Child private investigator Jack played by Tom Cruise |
| 48% | MIKEHAMMER | 10 | Private investigator created by Mickey Spillane played by 43-Across in the 1980s and 1990s (2 wds.) |
| 45% | THEANTIPODES | 12 | 1638 stage play by Richard Brome |
| 43% | LANCELOT | 8 | Role played by Richard Gere and John Cleese |
| 42% | LESNESSMAN | 10 | 57-Across news anchor played by Richard Sanders (2 wds.) |
| 42% | SOLITAIRE | 9 | Card game for one played by Richard Dreyfuss in "Jaws" |
| 41% | KILDARE | 7 | Last name of a 1960s TV doctor played by Richard Chamberlain |
| 41% | MACGYVER | 8 | Resourceful TV character played by Richard Dean Anderson and Lucas Till |
| 41% | REACHER | 7 | Private investigator Jack created by the novelist Lee Child |
| 40% | BUDD | 4 | David ___, character played by Richard Madden in the BBC TV series "Bodyguard" |
| 40% | KRAMER | 6 | Cosmo ___, character played by Michael Richards in "Seinfeld" |
| 40% | COSMOKRAMER | 11 | "Seinfeld" character played by Michael Richards: 2 wds. |
| 39% | SERENA | 6 | Williams sister played by Demi Singleton in "King Richard" |
| 38% | EVE | 3 | Investigator Polastri played by Sandra Oh |
| 38% | JAWS | 4 | James Bond's foe played by Richard Kiel two films, notable for his steely smile. |
| 38% | COSMO | 5 | ___ Kramer, major character from "Seinfeld" who is played by Michael Richards |
| 37% | PITCAIRN | 8 | 2014 stage play by Richard Bean about the mutineers of the Bounty led by Fletcher Christian |
| 37% | COSMOKRAMER | 11 | Character played by Michael Richards in a sitcom about "nothing" (2 wds.) |
| 37% | COSMO | 5 | ___ Kramer, popular television character played by Michael Richards in the sitcom "Seinfeld" |
| 37% | TENNIS | 6 | Sport played professionally by transgender pioneer Renée Richards |
| 35% | VIWARSHAWSKI | 12 | Fictional private investigator featured in 19 novels, including 28-Across, by 40-Across (3 wds.) |
| 35% | EASYRAWLINS | 11 | Fictional war veteran and private investigator featured in 14 novels by 29-Across (2 wds.) |
| 34% | NIGHT | 5 | The ___ King, "Game of Thrones" character who was played by both Richard Brake and Vladimir Furdik |
| 34% | ARTHUR | 6 | King played in film by Sean Connery, Richard Harris and Clive Owen |
| 33% | SLEUTH | 6 | Private investigator |
| 33% | DETECTIVE | 9 | Private investigator |
| 32% | RIVERPHOENIX | 12 | "My Own Private Idaho" actor who played Chris in "Stand by Me": 2 wds. |
| 32% | SHAFT | 5 | Richard Roundtree role |