| 100% | BETSY | 5 | With 4-Across, secretary of education who advocated for school choice |
| 38% | LEE | 3 | Activist Opal who advocated for the national recognition of 23-Across |
| 36% | OTEROWARREN | 11 | *Nina ___, suffragist who advocated for bilingual education |
| 35% | BAD | 3 | With 4-Across, Puerto Rican rapper who was Spotify's most-streamed artist of 2020 |
| 34% | TAYLORSWIFT | 11 | "Anti-Hero" singer who was honored with the People's Choice Award for The Female Artist of 2022 (2 wds.) |
| 34% | JAMES | 5 | With 34-Across, Ronald Reagan press secretary for whom a gun bill is named |
| 34% | HARRYSTYLES | 11 | "As It Was" singer who was honored with the People's Choice Award for The Male Artist of 2022 (2 wds.) |
| 34% | BETSYDEVOS | 10 | Secretary of Education who three times tried (and failed) to cut Special Olympics funding from the department's budget |
| 33% | EDBALLS | 7 | Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families from 2007-10 |
| 33% | GOVE | 4 | Michael —, Secretary of State for Education from 2010-14 |
| 33% | TRUMAN | 6 | With 33-Across, friend of 15-Across who was the basis for Dill in "To Kill a Mockingbird" |
| 32% | VERY | 4 | With 4-Across, opposite of seldom |
| 32% | REX | 3 | Secretary of State Tillerson who served under President Trump for only 423 days |
| 32% | KELLY | 5 | Ruth —, Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2004-06 |
| 32% | ESTELLE | 7 | & 9A Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2001-02 |
| 32% | ARIANA | 6 | With 35-Across, singer of "Bang Bang" who was a first-time Grammy nominee for Best Pop Vocal Album |
| 32% | PALO | 4 | With 4-Across, part of Silicon Valley |
| 32% | GAL | 3 | With 4-Across, star of "Wonder Woman" |
| 32% | DAVID | 5 | With 4-Across, creator of "The Sopranos" |
| 32% | THE | 3 | With 4-Across, resident of Buckingham Palace |
| 32% | TWO | 3 | With 4-Across, value of an opinion? |
| 32% | BALLS | 5 | Ed —, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families from 2007-10 |
| 31% | STEVIE | 6 | With 31-Across, "Sir Duke" singer who won the 1977 Grammy for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical |
| 31% | NEW | 3 | With 4-Across, time for a big party |
| 31% | BIG | 3 | With 4-Across, nickname for New York City |
| 31% | BIG | 3 | With 4-Across, input for some complex statistical analysis |
| 31% | JAMIE | 5 | With 4-Across, star of "Django Unchained" and "Soul" |
| 31% | BAZLUHRMANN | 11 | Australian director of 19- and 33-Across who's known for films with pop music soundtracks: 2 wds. |
| 31% | DUNWOODY | 8 | Gwyneth —, Shadow Secretary of State for Health from 1980-83 who died in 2008 |
| 31% | JENNIFER | 8 | With 44-Across, actress who won an Emmy Award for playing Tanya McQuoid on the first season of "The White Lotus" |