| 100% | ZAKIYA | 6 | With 15 and 16 Across, writer with the 2021 debut novel "The Other Black Girl" |
| 36% | NOBEL | 5 | With 32- and 38-Across, 2014 honor won by the writer of 15-Across |
| 36% | JODI | 4 | Writer Picoult with the 2021 novel "Wish You Were Here" |
| 36% | RAINBOWROWELL | 13 | 15-Across and 46-Across writer whose third "Simon Snow" novel was published in 2021 (2 wds.) |
| 36% | TOHELLWITHIT | 12 | 2021 mixtape by 16-Across that with the hit singles "Just for Me," "Pain," "Passion," and 26-Across (4 wds.) |
| 35% | DETECTIVESTORY | 14 | Literary genre often associated with the writer concealed in 16-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 35% | JUSTINBIEBER | 12 | "Yummy" singer with the 2021 #1 song at 16-Across and the #1 album at 44-Across: 2 wds. |
| 33% | ALLFORONE | 9 | With 15- and 22-Across, catchphrase of the Three Musketeers |
| 33% | SUSANCHOI | 9 | 15-Across and 33-Across writer who won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction for her novel "Trust Exercise" (2 wds.) |
| 32% | LEO | 3 | With 16-Across, "War and Peace" writer |
| 32% | GABRIELLEZEVIN | 14 | 16-Across and 28-Across writer whose novel "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" won the Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Fiction in 2022 (2 wds.) |
| 31% | DRAKE | 5 | Singer of 15-Across, 28-Across, and 38-Across who was honored with the Artist of the Decade Award at the 2021 "Billboard" Music Awards |
| 31% | YAAGYASI | 8 | Writer with the novel Homegoing |
| 31% | WHATSLOVE | 9 | With 14- and 16-Across, Tina Turner hit or the title of her 1993 biopic |
| 30% | HEMINGWAY | 9 | American writer Ernest, who won the Nobel in 1954 and whose debut novel was "The Sun Also Rises" |
| 30% | DELIACAI | 8 | Writer of the debut 2023 novel Central Places |
| 30% | BREVITYIS | 9 | With 24 and 15 Across, quote from "Hamlet" |
| 30% | TIC | 3 | With 50 and 55 Across, the ''central'' theme |
| 30% | GREGORY | 7 | With 39-Across, writer of "Wicked," 15-Across, and 54-Across |
| 30% | TWOHUNDREDTH | 12 | With 41 and 55 Across, what 15 Across is |
| 30% | NEILSIMON | 9 | Writer with the most combined Tony and Oscar nominations |
| 30% | NEILSIMON | 9 | Writer with the most combined Oscar and Tony nominations |
| 30% | CHIEFJUSTICE | 12 | With 39 and 44 Across, the most major magistrate |
| 29% | RADICAL | 7 | With 52-Across, 2024 25-Across album with the hits 15-Across, "Houdini," and "Training Season" |
| 29% | JOHNB | 5 | With 65-Across, Irish writer and author of the quote |
| 29% | GIRL | 4 | With 10-Across and the circled letters, a best-selling novel, with "The" |
| 29% | DEPECHEMODE | 11 | "Personal Jesus" band with the albums 15-Across and 26-Across (2 wds.) |
| 29% | RAE | 3 | The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl writer |
| 29% | WHATA | 5 | With 15 and 20 Across, a 1967 song sung by Louis Armstrong in "Good Morning, Vietnam" |
| 29% | ANDTHEOSCAR | 11 | With 57-Across, phrase that introduces the winner at the 15-Across 16-Across |