| 100% | NEROWOLFE | 9 | Rex Stout detective played by Maury Chaykin, William Conrad, and Thayer David (2 wds.) |
| 35% | NERO | 4 | Detective Wolfe played by Maury Chaykin |
| 35% | PHILIPMARLOWE | 13 | Raymond Chandler detective played by Humphrey Bogart, Elliott Gould, and Robert Mitchum (2 wds.) |
| 35% | HERCULEPOIROT | 13 | Agatha Christie detective played by Kenneth Branagh, Peter Ustinov, and Albert Finney (2 wds.) |
| 34% | NEROWOLFE | 9 | Fictional armchair detective created by Rex Stout who keeps his past murky: 2 wds. |
| 34% | HARLEESANTOS | 12 | NYPD detective played by 29-Across: 2 wds. |
| 34% | NEROWOLFE | 9 | Rex Stout's fictional detective: 2 wds. |
| 32% | SNAPPERFOSTER | 13 | Role played by David Hasselhoff from 1975 to 1982 in the TV soap opera "The Young and the Restless," which helped him gain recognition: 2 wds. |
| 32% | ROSSGELLER | 10 | Geeky character played by David Schwimmer on "Friends": 2 wds. |
| 31% | JESSESTONE | 10 | Fictional detective created by novelist 33-Across and played by actor 43-Across (2 wds.) |
| 30% | VERONICAMARS | 12 | Title Southern California detective played by Kristen Bell (2 wds.) |
| 30% | JANETENNISON | 12 | "Prime Suspect" London detective played by Helen Mirren (2 wds.) |
| 30% | NEWTSCAMANDER | 13 | Character played by 15-Across in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them": 2 wds. |
| 30% | JOEWEST | 7 | Detective played by 30-Across on "The Flash" for nine seasons (2 wds.) |
| 30% | EDGREEN | 7 | Detective played by 30-Across on "Law & Order" for nine seasons (2 wds.) |
| 29% | VITOCORLEONE | 12 | Mafia don played by both 14-Across and 28-Across in the "Godfather" franchise: 2 wds. |
| 29% | OLIVIABENSON | 12 | "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" New York detective played by Mariska Hargitay (2 wds.) |
| 29% | RICOTUBBS | 9 | Undercover detective played by Philip Michael Thomas on 52-Across (2 wds.) |
| 29% | WINTERSTALE | 11 | "The ___" play by William Shakespeare that has named characters Leontes and Polixenes from Sicilia and Bohemia respectively: 2 wds. |
| 28% | LEXLUTHOR | 9 | Superman nemesis played by Gene Hackman and Jesse Eisenberg: 2 wds. |
| 28% | EVAPERON | 8 | Argentine leader played by Patti LuPone and Madonna (2 wds.) |
| 28% | RICHARDKIMBLE | 13 | Role played by 18- and 44-Across: 2 wds. |
| 28% | JOHNKELLY | 9 | Detective played by David Caruso in NYPD Blue |
| 28% | FATHERMULCAHY | 13 | "M*A*S*H" chaplain played by William Christopher (2 wds.) |
| 28% | DWIGHTSCHRUTE | 13 | A character from "The Office" played by Rainn Wilson, who is the nemesis and eventual friend of 42a: 2 wds |
| 28% | JONNJONZZ | 9 | Shape-shifting Martian played by David Harewood in 49-Across (2 wds.) |
| 27% | BENSONDUBOIS | 12 | TV character played by Robert Guillaume in the 1970s and 1980s (2 wds.) |
| 27% | BRADBELLICK | 11 | Character played by Wade Williams who is introduced as the captain of Fox River's correctional officers in "Prison Break": 2 wds. |
| 27% | COSMOKRAMER | 11 | Character played by Michael Richards in "Seinfeld", who is 32-Across's neighbor and is often called a "hipster doofus": 2 wds. |
| 27% | MURPHYBROWN | 11 | CBS TV character with a colorful last name, played by Candice Bergen from 1988 to 1998 and 2018 to 2019: 2 wds. |