| 100% | ABSCAM | 6 | Sting that was the inspiration for the 2013 film "American Hustle" |
| 54% | SCARLET | 7 | "The ___ Letter," historical fiction novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne that was an inspiration for the film "Easy A" |
| 53% | COTTONEYEDJOE | 13 | Traditional American folk song that was the inspiration for a 1994 hit by Swedish band Rednex: 2 wds., hyph. |
| 47% | LABOHEME | 8 | Opera by Puccini that is the basis for the film "Rent" (2 wds) |
| 45% | SLUG | 4 | Slow mollusk without a shell that was an inspiration for Jabba the Hutt |
| 44% | DEVIL | 5 | "The ___ You Know," 2013 mystery thriller film starring Lena Olin and Rosamund Pike that was in production for 8 years |
| 44% | ABSCAM | 6 | Bribery scandal depicted in the 2013 film "American Hustle" |
| 43% | OTTO | 4 | What Ove's name was changed to for the American film adaptation of "A Man Called Ove" |
| 43% | BECAUSE | 7 | Conjunction that was the American Dialect Society’s 2013 Word of the Year |
| 42% | ROMA | 4 | Alfonso Cuarón film that was the first Netflix production nominated for the Best Picture Oscar |
| 42% | WATER | 5 | "Avatar: The Way of ___," 2022 sci-fi film that was in production for 12 years |
| 42% | FURNACE | 7 | "Out of the___," 2013 film starring Christian Bale that was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio |
| 41% | PASTLIVES | 9 | Celine Song film that was nominated for Best Picture at the 2024 Oscars |
| 41% | WEIRDSCIENCE | 12 | Oingo Boingo single that was the theme song for a 1980s film and 1990s TV series (2 wds.) |
| 40% | CREEK | 5 | "Willow ___," 2013 horror film directed by Bobcat Goldthwait that is set in the woods |
| 40% | ERIN | 4 | Brockovich who was the inspiration for the TV show "Rebel" |
| 40% | RAM | 3 | Animal that is the symbol for the zodiac sign Aries |
| 40% | CRAB | 4 | Crustacean that is the symbol for the zodiac sign Cancer |
| 40% | BLURREDLINES | 12 | 2013 Robin Thicke song that was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks: 2 wds. |
| 40% | HANSON | 6 | American boy band of three brothers that was popular in the 2000s, known for their hit "MMMBop" |
| 40% | EVIL | 4 | "The ___ Within," 2017 horror film that was in production for 15 years |
| 40% | TROY | 4 | Ancient Greek city that was the setting for the Trojan War |
| 40% | ASEPARATION | 11 | 2011 family drama that was the first Iranian film to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (2 wds.) |
| 40% | ILIAD | 5 | Classical inspiration for the 2004 film "Troy" |
| 40% | IAMACAMERA | 10 | Play that was the basis for "Cabaret" |
| 39% | BEAN | 4 | Seed that is the source for 20a |
| 39% | HAVE | 4 | "I ___ Nothing," hit single by Whitney Houston that was recorded for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard" |
| 39% | STRANGER | 8 | "Love with the Proper ___," 1963 film directed by Robert Mulligan that was nominated for five Oscars |
| 39% | EMMA | 4 | Inspiration for the film "Clueless" |
| 39% | BEDROCK | 7 | Fictional prehistoric town that is the setting for "The Flintstones" |