| 100% | GODSEND | 7 | Something unexpected but welcome |
| 70% | GODSEND | 7 | Unexpected but welcome thing |
| 48% | SURPRISE | 8 | Something unexpected |
| 47% | IRONIC | 6 | Unexpected but appropriate |
| 42% | CURVEBALL | 9 | Threw a __, did something unexpected |
| 42% | ARISE | 5 | What something unexpected might do |
| 41% | SHOCKWAVE | 9 | A strong reaction to something unexpected |
| 40% | BIZARRE | 7 | Something extremely unusual or unexpected |
| 39% | IRONY | 5 | Dramatic ___ (literary device in which something unexpected occurs) |
| 39% | EAR | 3 | Something often lent, but never returned |
| 38% | FAD | 3 | Something that's popular but short-lived |
| 38% | URACIL | 6 | Something RNA has but DNA doesn't |
| 38% | COIN | 4 | Something to toss but not throw away |
| 37% | PULLA | 5 | "___ rabbit out of a hat" (do something unexpected): 2 wds. |
| 37% | PULLA | 5 | ___ rabbit out of the hat (do something unexpected): 2 wds. |
| 37% | CURVEBALL | 9 | Something totally unexpected or out of the blue |
| 37% | ARE | 3 | Something I can't use, but you can |
| 37% | CAPITALN | 8 | Something the Netherlands has but Belgium doesn't? |
| 37% | ARE | 3 | Something you can use but I can't |
| 37% | FAD | 3 | Something that's popular but doesn't last |
| 37% | RUN | 3 | Something good in baseball, but bad in banking |
| 37% | TELEPHONE | 9 | Something that has a ring but no fingers |
| 37% | LOVE | 4 | Something you can't buy but everyone wants |
| 36% | GUESSED | 7 | Didn't know but said something anyway |
| 36% | BITETHEBULLET | 13 | Tackle something that’s unpleasant but unavoidable |
| 35% | ALLEGED | 7 | Something that is said but hasn't been proven yet |
| 35% | NAG | 3 | Something that will beat a dead horse, but nothing else |
| 35% | FRET | 4 | Something usually on your mandolin but never on your violin |
| 35% | STAIRCASE | 9 | Something that goes up and down but doesn't move |
| 35% | ONION | 5 | Something that can be red or white, but not blue |