| 100% | NEED | 4 | Want or demand |
| 57% | ENTAILS | 7 | Requires or demands |
| 54% | UNMET | 5 | Like some goals or demands |
| 50% | ULTIMATUM | 9 | Final demand or proposal |
| 50% | UNWELCOME | 9 | Not invited or wanted |
| 49% | PREFER | 6 | To want or like something above other similar items |
| 49% | SETTLE | 6 | Not demand everything one wants |
| 49% | NOT | 3 | Word after waste or want |
| 48% | LONGING | 7 | Yearning, wanting someone or something |
| 48% | DUE | 3 | Payable, either immediately or on demand |
| 47% | NOTICE | 6 | Wanted poster or warning placed on public walls |
| 47% | NEEDY | 5 | Having lots of demands or requirements |
| 46% | POPQUESTION | 11 | "You want Pepsi or Coke?," e.g.? |
| 46% | PERSONA | 7 | __ non grata, someone not welcome or wanted |
| 44% | DIVA | 4 | A celebrity who acts particularly demanding or difficult |
| 44% | MEOWS | 5 | "I want in" or "I want out" indicators, maybe |
| 44% | ULTIMATUM | 9 | "Or else" demand |
| 43% | ELEVEN | 6 | You want to roll a seven or __ in craps |
| 42% | HAND | 4 | What a person in trouble -- or performing on stage -- wants |
| 41% | INTEREST | 8 | Feeling of wanting to know or learn about something or someone |
| 41% | ALIVE | 5 | "Wanted! Dead or ___" |
| 40% | WORKLIFEBALANCE | 15 | Challenge in a demanding job ... or a feature of this puzzle? |
| 39% | CRAPS | 5 | Casino game where you might want to roll a 7 or 11 |
| 38% | ADARE | 5 | "Do you want a truth or ___?" (options in a drinking game): 2 wds. |
| 38% | ALA | 3 | "Do you want to order ___ carte or go for a meal?": 2 wds. |
| 38% | DESIRABLE | 9 | Popular or in-demand |
| 37% | JOBOPENING | 10 | Want ad heading ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 38- and 49-Across |
| 37% | ALIVE | 5 | "Wanted Dead or ___" (Bon Jovi song) |
| 36% | EGOMANIAC | 9 | "Any man who wants to be president is either an ___ or crazy": Dwight Eisenhower |
| 34% | ANY | 3 | In less than a minute, they decide whether or not they want to take it __ further. |