| 100% | MUON | 4 | Subatomic particle that made headlines in April for seemingly defying the standard model of particle physics |
| 33% | THEQUEUE | 8 | Nickname for a 10-mile line of people that made headlines in Sept. 2022 |
| 29% | CREDIT | 6 | ___-default swap (type of financial agreement that made headlines in 2008) |
| 28% | DANK | 4 | Making a comeback is this "wet and unpleasant" slangy term for something of high quality that originated in the '80s |
| 28% | IVORY | 5 | Brand of soap flakes that was often used in the 1920s to make fake snow for Christmas decorations |
| 28% | STONES | 6 | The Rolling ___, "Angie" band that made headlines for their 1972 North American tour |
| 27% | RAMONES | 7 | "Beat on the Brat" band that made headlines for their 1977 European tour |
| 27% | ALTHO | 5 | In spite of the fact that, for short |
| 26% | TIN | 3 | Metal that makes up about 12% of the material in bronze |
| 26% | BLOOD | 5 | "Bad ___," song by Taylor Swift that won an MTV VMA for Video of the Year in 2015 |
| 26% | HANSON | 6 | Group that made up the word "MMMBop" in a 1997 song of the same name |
| 26% | OBOE | 4 | Instrument that makes the sound of the duck in "Peter and the Wolf" |
| 26% | TAN | 3 | Color of skin that has been in the sun for a long time |
| 26% | CORVETTE | 8 | One of the most iconic American sports cars from Chevrolet, that has been in production for seven generations |
| 26% | RED | 3 | The ___ Wedding, iconic event in "Game of Thrones" that won an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing |
| 25% | PIONEER | 7 | — 10, US spacecraft launched in 1972 that made the first fly-by of Jupiter |
| 25% | SALE | 4 | FOR ___ (sign in front of a house that's on the market) |
| 25% | JEREZ | 5 | Town in SW Spain famous for the making of sherry |
| 25% | GROOVY | 6 | Making a comeback is this "rhythmic" slangy term for something attractive that was popular in the '60s |
| 25% | DEUTSCHMARK | 11 | English name for the standard monetary unit of Germany replaced by the Euro in 2002 |
| 25% | YOUREALLYGOTME | 14 | 1964 hit for the Kinks that's in the Grammy Hall of Fame: 4 wds. |
| 25% | DOG | 3 | Temple of the ___, "Hunger Strike" former rock group that reunited in 2016 for a tour |
| 25% | WATER | 5 | "Avatar: The Way of ___," 2022 sci-fi film that was in production for 12 years |
| 25% | AGE | 3 | Figure that rapidly increases for some of the characters in Old |
| 25% | VAMPIREWEEKEND | 14 | Indie rock band that won a Best Alternative Music Album Grammy in 2020 for "Father of the Bride": 2 wds. |
| 25% | LIT | 3 | Making a comeback is this "illuminated" slangy term for something exciting that was popular in the 1910's |
| 25% | SNL | 3 | Letters that can fill in the blanks of "_A_D_ER" to make an appropriate surname |
| 25% | CHEM | 4 | One of the subjects that astronaut Story Musgrave has a degree in, for short |
| 25% | IGLOO | 5 | Shelter for people living in cold regions that is made of 14a |
| 25% | TRICKSY | 7 | Adjective that Gollum uses for "hobbitses," in "The Lord of the Rings" |