| 100% | NICHOLAS | 8 | With 62 Across, Charles Dickens novel about a man trying to support his sister and widowed mother, featuring a Maine college |
| 34% | THETALISMAN | 11 | Stephen King and Peter Straub novel about a boy seeking a magical artifact that can heal his sick mother, featuring a Michigan college |
| 31% | LEAKHOUSE | 9 | Charles Dickens novel about a residence with constant plumbing problems? |
| 31% | ZENARCADE | 9 | Hüsker Dü album about a man trying to escape his miserable home life |
| 30% | TWISTOLIVER | 11 | Charles Dickens novel about commanding comedian John to do a 1960s dance? |
| 30% | KINGOFSCARS | 11 | 2019 fantasy novel by 30-Across about a young ruler with dark powers trying to rebuild his country after a civil war (3 wds.) |
| 30% | FRACTURE | 8 | 2007 film starring Anthony Hopkins about a man who tries to kill his wife, and then defends himself in court |
| 30% | LIVINGWITH | 10 | With 28-Across, Netflix series about a man and his clone: 2 wds. |
| 28% | PUDDNHEADWILSON | 15 | Mark Twain novel about a Northern lawyer who moves to the Deep South, featuring a New York college |
| 27% | MAYBESOMEDAY | 12 | 2014 novel by 33-Across featuring a love triangle with college student Sydney, her boyfriend, and her neighbor: 2 wds. |
| 25% | GOD | 3 | "To a ___ Unknown," novel by American author John Steinbeck about the relationship of a man to his land |
| 25% | THEMEMORYPOLICE | 15 | Yoko Ogawa novel about a draconian law enforcement group that tries to prevent people from recalling lost objects, featuring a Georgia university |
| 25% | THELONGESTRIDE | 14 | Nicholas Sparks novel about unexpected connections between an elderly man, a college student, and a cowboy (3 wds.) |
| 25% | MIND | 4 | “The Life of the ___,” Christine Smallwood novel about lost opportunities to become a mother and professor (March, 2021) |
| 25% | TIMETRAVELERS | 13 | "The ___ Wife," bestselling debut novel by Audrey Niffenegger published in 2003 about a man who moves through time and his wife: 2 wds. |
| 25% | INSOMNIA | 8 | Stephen King novel about a man with a sleep disorder |
| 25% | COURTTOTRYBEATINGVICTIM | 23 | Ambiguous headline about a man charged with killing his attacker? |
| 25% | CASEY | 5 | Man trying to clarify the spelling of his name in 21-, 25-, 38-, 52- and 57-Across |
| 25% | LOOSE | 5 | With 62-Across, handyman's assortment, and a hint to what's in each set of circles |
| 25% | WHATALICE | 9 | With 19-Across, 2009 Liane Moriarty novel about a mother who develops amnesia: 2 wds. |
| 24% | HOME | 4 | With 9-Across, John Hughes film about a boy who is left to defend his house from robbers |
| 24% | IWILLFINDYOU | 12 | 2023 novel by 40-Across about a man wrongly accused of murdering his son (4 wds.) |
| 24% | YOURHONOR | 9 | Showtime drama about a judge trying to protect his son from mobsters in New Orleans: 2 wds. |
| 24% | IDIOT | 5 | Dostoyevsky novel about a "positively beautiful man," with "The" |
| 24% | THOUGHTYOU | 10 | With 34-Across, 2022 Morgan Wallen hit that's a tribute to his mother: 2 wds. |
| 24% | TALEOFTWOCITIES | 15 | Classic novel, following "A," with a literal hint to 17-, 27- and 48-Across |
| 24% | FRECKLEJUICE | 12 | Chapter book by 38-Across about a boy who buys a potion to change his facial features (2 wds.) |
| 24% | BRUCEWILLIS | 11 | "Die Hard" actor who plays a man with superhuman strength in "Unbreakable" and 62-Across (2 wds.) |
| 24% | MANSFIELDPARK | 13 | Novel by 18-Across about Fanny Price, a girl sent to live with wealthy relatives: 2 wds. |
| 23% | OLIVEAGAIN | 10 | Elizabeth Strout novel that features a story about the mother from 16-Across (2 wds.) |