| 100% | EDUC | 4 | U.S. dept. that had a Race to the Top reform prog. |
| 41% | UPHILL | 6 | Direction taken when racing to the top of a mount |
| 38% | LOSE | 4 | Not make it to the top three in a race, perhaps |
| 38% | LIS | 3 | Portal established by the US Dept. of Agric. that aims to get a better crop yield from your bean fields |
| 37% | ALASKA | 6 | US state that has a shoreline on the Beaufort Sea |
| 36% | WII | 3 | Video game console that had the slogan "Experience a new way to play" |
| 36% | PIZZERIAUNO | 11 | Chain that claims to have invented the deep-dish |
| 35% | ALABAMA | 7 | Montgomery's state that was the first US state to recognize Christmas as a holiday in 1836 |
| 35% | ESL | 3 | Course that a newcomer to the US might take: Abbr. |
| 35% | EMERALDCITY | 11 | Nickname of Seattle that has a reference to the lush green forest of the area: 2 wds. |
| 35% | REM | 3 | Band that had a hit with "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" |
| 35% | HEADREST | 8 | Restraint fitted to the top of a car driver's seat |
| 34% | JAPAN | 5 | Women's World Cup team that had a rivalry with the U.S. during the 2010s |
| 34% | IEN | 3 | Org. that has represented Native American concerns to the UN and has a Carbon Pricing Toolkit |
| 34% | RELAY | 5 | Type of race that requires the participant to pass on a baton |
| 34% | WIRE | 4 | "Down to the ___," common phrase meaning "until the last minute," that has its origins in horse racing |
| 34% | CHARLESTON | 10 | The Capital of the only US state to have its sovereignty proclaimed by a president |
| 34% | REM | 3 | Band that had a 1987 top 10 hit with "The One I Love" |
| 34% | SMOG | 4 | Fog that has combined with excessive smoke in the air, often leading to a lot of lung diseases |
| 33% | SLIMSHADY | 9 | "The Real ___," Eminem's first song to reach number one in the U.K, with a video that parodied several real-life celebrities: 2 wds. |
| 33% | SKILIFTS | 8 | Conveyances that get people to the top of a snowy mountain: 2 wds. |
| 33% | SKITOW | 6 | Way to the top of a mountain |
| 33% | GASH | 4 | Wound that has a long, deep cut |
| 33% | IVE | 3 | "___ Gotta Get a Message to You" (first U.S. Top 10 hit for the Bee Gees) |
| 32% | CAB | 3 | Vehicle that might have a fixed rate to go to the airport |
| 32% | OREGON | 6 | Home to the deepest lake and river gorge in the U.S. |
| 32% | GUAM | 4 | U.S. territory that's closer to Australia than the United States |
| 32% | KUDZU | 5 | Plant that has become invasive in much of the Eastern U.S. |
| 32% | RIVAL | 5 | (2/5) "You learn from talking to the crew that Blanks has a fierce ___ (nemesis) by the name of Hugh Jackpot..." |
| 32% | BAD | 3 | Word to a dog that has just chewed the sofa |