| 100% | REDPONY | 7 | Steinbeck novella about a boy growing up on a ranch, with “The” |
| 45% | THEGOLDBERGS | 12 | ABC sitcom about a geeky boy growing up in the 1980s: 2 wds. |
| 40% | PETERPAN | 8 | Book about a boy who can fly and never grows up |
| 39% | LIFEOFPI | 8 | Book and movie about a boy on a boat with a tiger: 3 wds. |
| 38% | MAHALIAJACKSON | 14 | *Gospel legend with the hit "Move On Up a Little Higher" |
| 37% | GALA | 4 | Met ___, 2023 event that went viral with memes about a cockroach on the carpet |
| 36% | HER | 3 | 2013 movie about a man who falls in love with the voice on his smartphone |
| 36% | MAN | 3 | What a boy grows up to be |
| 36% | FASHION | 7 | With 37-Across, up on the latest trends, and a fitting description of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 36% | ERIE | 4 | City on a lake with the same name |
| 36% | OFMICEANDMEN | 12 | Steinbeck novella about migrant ranch workers |
| 36% | IAMCAIT | 7 | E! reality series about the post-transition life of a “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” cast member |
| 35% | COME | 4 | "On the __ Up": Angie Thomas novel about a teenage rapper |
| 35% | WHEREWEBELONG | 13 | Emily Giffin novel about a television producer reunited with the daughter she gave up for adoption (3 wds.) |
| 35% | SWEETIE | 7 | "You're doing amazing, ___," dialogue by Kris Jenner on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" that became a meme |
| 35% | RED | 3 | "The ___ Pony," episodic novel by American author John Steinbeck about a boy named Jody Tiflin |
| 35% | EDDIEHUANG | 10 | Chef whose memoir about growing up in a Taiwanese-American family in Florida inspired the ABC sitcom "Fresh off the Boat" (2 wds.) |
| 35% | ALPESTRINE | 10 | Growing on a mountain below the tree line |
| 35% | FIVE | 4 | "The ___ Seasons," 1981 rom-com about a group of friends on vacation ... with 40a added in |
| 35% | PAINTEDHOUSE | 12 | "A ___," a 2003 movie based on a John Grisham novel of the same name about a 7 year old boy named Luke Chandler: 2 wds. |
| 34% | JUNGLE | 6 | The __ Book, story about a boy raised by animals |
| 34% | PAR | 3 | On a ___ with (roughly the same as) |
| 34% | PAR | 3 | On a ___ with (at the same level) |
| 34% | EYE | 3 | "The Bluest ___," 1970 novel written by Toni Morrison which is about a young girl growing up during the years of Great Depression |
| 34% | GEN | 3 | With 8-Down, one who grew up on MTV, maybe |
| 34% | MASTERKEY | 9 | The __, L. Frank Baum novel about a boy called Rob |
| 34% | HOMEWARDBOUND | 13 | "___: The Incredible Journey," 1993 adventure comedy film starring Robert Hays which is about three pets that embark on a journey to reunite with their owners: 2 wds. |
| 34% | SWAB | 4 | ___ the decks (clean up, on a boat) |
| 34% | SWAB | 4 | ___ the deck (clean up, on a boat) |