| 100% | UNDERTOW | 8 | What "U Is for," in a Sue Grafton book title |
| 93% | INNOCENT | 8 | What "I Is for," in a Sue Grafton book title |
| 93% | HOMICIDE | 8 | What "H Is for," in a Sue Grafton book title |
| 83% | DEADBEAT | 8 | What "D Is for," in a book title in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone detective series |
| 80% | NOOSE | 5 | What "N Is for" in a Sue Grafton title |
| 79% | ALIBI | 5 | What "A is for," in a Sue Grafton book |
| 78% | NOOSE | 5 | What "N" is for, in a Sue Grafton title |
| 66% | NOOSE | 5 | What "N Is for" in one of Sue Grafton's titles |
| 58% | ALIBI | 5 | What "A" is for, in Sue Grafton's mystery series |
| 50% | PLANET | 6 | What each word in "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles" is a stand-in for |
| 49% | TITLE | 5 | What 7a is for a book |
| 46% | LIBEL | 5 | What a tabloid may be sued for |
| 46% | LIBEL | 5 | What a newspaper might be sued for |
| 46% | ITALS | 5 | A book title may be in it: Abbr. |
| 45% | REB | 3 | Title for Tevye in "If I Were a Rich Man" |
| 45% | BEENGONE | 8 | Since U __ was a hit in 2004 for Kelly Clarkson |
| 44% | ALIBI | 5 | Sue Grafton’s “A Is for ___” |
| 44% | LWORD | 5 | What might be "love" or "lesbian" in a TV show title |
| 44% | CDS | 3 | What there may be a lot of interest in, for short? |
| 43% | LIFT | 4 | UK word for what is an elevator in the US |
| 43% | VISFORVENGEANCE | 15 | *22nd in a Sue Grafton series |
| 43% | EARTH | 5 | What is the only planet in our solar system not named for a deity? |
| 42% | SIR | 3 | Title for a man granted in the U.K. but not in the U.S. |
| 41% | GEORGEHWBUSH | 12 | 41st US president for whom a Houston airport was renamed in 1997: 4 wds. |
| 41% | SINEADOCONNOR | 13 | Singer whose "Nothing Compares 2 U" was a #1 song for four weeks in 1990 (2 wds.) |
| 41% | ACT | 3 | Anagram of the animal in 23a which is what Ryan Reynolds does for a living |
| 41% | RONALDREAGAN | 12 | 40th US president for whom a DC-area airport was renamed in 1998: 2 wds. |
| 40% | NODRAMA | 7 | What most hope for in a relationship |
| 40% | ORE | 3 | What might be grabbed in a rush |
| 40% | SARI | 4 | What might be tucked in a petticoat |