| 100% | PLOP | 4 | Sound that starts the Alka-Seltzer jingle |
| 65% | PLOP | 4 | Sound at the start of the Alka-Seltzer jingle |
| 63% | PLOP | 4 | Sound that begins an Alka-Seltzer jingle |
| 53% | PLOP | 4 | Sound that's before "fizz" in an Alka-Seltzer jingle |
| 51% | OPENINGBELL | 11 | Sound that signals the start of trading, on a stock exchange |
| 46% | SCHWA | 5 | Sound that starts "around" |
| 45% | HAAR | 4 | Thick sea fog that sounds like the start of a snarky laugh |
| 43% | ALLITERATE | 10 | Choose words that start the same |
| 43% | TIPOFF | 6 | Ball toss that starts the basketball game |
| 43% | IDEA | 4 | Something that starts the mental gears turning |
| 42% | SOUTH | 5 | Word that starts the names of two states |
| 42% | EPA | 3 | Organization that started the Energy Star program: Abbr. |
| 42% | PETA | 4 | Org. that started the "Kentucky Fried Cruelty" campaign |
| 42% | SNORE | 5 | Sound that will "wake the dead" |
| 41% | NEW | 3 | Word that starts the names of four US states |
| 41% | KWANZAA | 7 | Holiday festival that starts the day after 132-Across |
| 41% | MTV | 3 | Channel that started the reality boom with "Real World" |
| 41% | APPLE | 5 | Golden fruit that started the Trojan War, in myth |
| 41% | SNAP | 4 | Sound that completes the phrase "Just like ...!" |
| 41% | ECHO | 4 | Sound that might be off the wall? |
| 40% | COUNTDOWN | 9 | New Year Eve's finale that starts the next year |
| 40% | OOF | 3 | Sound that a punch in the gut elicits |
| 40% | SIREN | 5 | Sound that means "Get out of the way!" |
| 40% | DAY | 3 | Stretch that starts in the morning |
| 40% | COLECO | 6 | Company that started the Cabbage Patch Kids craze in the 1980s |
| 40% | HELP | 4 | "How Can I ___ You," 2023 short film starring Thomasin McKenzie that sounds like the start of a customer support call |
| 40% | HORN | 4 | Sound that signifies the end of a basketball game |
| 40% | BRR | 3 | Sound that might be made while rubbing the arms |
| 39% | EMPIRE | 6 | Regal waistline that starts under the bust |
| 39% | ARM | 3 | Body part that starts at the shoulder |