| 100% | HESS | 4 | Victor ___, Nobel winner for the discovery of cosmic rays |
| 42% | ACCIDENT | 8 | The discovery of penicillin in 1928, for example |
| 41% | COETZEE | 7 | J M —, 1983 Booker Prize winner for Life and Times of Michael K; 2003 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature |
| 40% | HUR | 3 | "Ben-___" (Oscar winner for the Best Picture of 1959) |
| 39% | PAPA | 4 | Nickname of the 1954 Nobel winner for literature, who first picked up the name in Pamplona, Spain |
| 39% | ROENTGEN | 8 | The unit of measurement for X and gamma rays |
| 38% | MICHENER | 8 | Pulitzer winner for "Tales of the South Pacific" |
| 38% | PAMELA | 6 | ___ Adlon, Emmy winner for "King of the Hill" |
| 38% | GOTYE | 5 | 2013 Grammy winner for Record of the Year |
| 38% | COETZEE | 7 | J M —, 1983 Booker Prize winner for Life & Times of Michael K; 2003 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature |
| 38% | APEX | 4 | Spot for the winner of king of the hill |
| 38% | REBS | 4 | Winners at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, for short |
| 38% | DALAILAMA | 9 | Winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize |
| 37% | FORD | 4 | John —, Best Director Oscar winner for The Quiet Man and The Grapes of Wrath |
| 37% | URSULAKLEGUIN | 13 | 1970 Hugo Award winner for the novel "The Left Hand of Darkness" (4 wds.) |
| 37% | LASTPLACE | 9 | Position for the winner of a booby prize (2 wds.) |
| 37% | 3SETS | 5 | Need for the winner of a Wimbledon men's match |
| 37% | DYLAN | 5 | Winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature |
| 37% | REARDON | 7 | Ray —, winner of the 1970 World Snooker Championship |
| 37% | REARDON | 7 | Ray -, winner of the 1970 World Snooker Championship |
| 37% | LINMANUELMIRANDA | 16 | Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama |
| 37% | WALLACESTEVENS | 14 | Winner of the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry |
| 37% | TARTT | 5 | Winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for fiction |
| 37% | ALVA | 4 | ___ Myrdal, co-winner of the 1982 Nobel Peace Prize for work with UN disarmament negotiations |
| 37% | FREDRICMARCH | 12 | Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar winner for The Best Years of Our Lives |
| 37% | WHITAKER | 8 | Forest —, Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar winner for The Last King of Scotland |
| 37% | JOANNE | 6 | & 12A Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar winner for The Three Faces of Eve |
| 37% | ROENTGEN | 8 | Winner of the first Nobel Prize in Physics, 1901 |