Pet pest

Latest answer — September 23, 2026

48 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

A flea is a small parasitic insect that commonly infests dogs, cats, and other pets, making it a literal pet pest.

Clue type:
Definition
A flea on an animal’s fur

LA Times Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Japanese beer brand
  2. 6Pet adoption org.
  3. 10Exec concerned with network security
  4. 13Piccata ingredient
  5. 14"Celebration" band __ & the Gang
  6. 15Magic spell
  7. 16Inner selves, in Jungian psychology
  8. 18*Tablet choice
  9. 20Friend
  10. 22Poker-faced
  11. 23*Silent film based on a Leoncavallo opera
  12. 27Overseas greeting?
  13. 30Formally turn over
  14. 31Panang curry cuisine
  15. 32Summoning contraction
  16. 33Sweet potato kin
  17. 34Filmed
  18. 35Oklahoma athlete
  19. 36*Destination for a day trip from Naples
  20. 39DraftKings user, e.g.
  21. 41Gutter locale
  22. 42Skin pic
  23. 45Done (with)
  24. 46Architect Saarinen
  25. 47Old Testament scribe
  26. 48Pet pest
  27. 49*Lionel Messi's MLS team
  28. 51"The Trial" novelist Kafka
  29. 53Notary imprint
  30. 54*How like-minded people see, or a phonetic hint for the answers to the starred clues?
  31. 57Vin in the "Fast & Furious" franchise
  32. 61Passing through
  33. 62Nautilus captain
  34. 63None too trusting
  35. 64Just right
  36. 65Garden with forbidden fruit
  37. 66Drum kit drum

Down

  1. 1Banned Books Week org.
  2. 2Capitol Hill VIP
  3. 3French friend
  4. 4Show of respect
  5. 5Entirely
  6. 6Slalom, say
  7. 7Genre for many an Attenborough documentary, in brief
  8. 8Raccoon relative
  9. 9Canadian shoe brand
  10. 10Home of the Mayan temple El Castillo
  11. 11Decimal base
  12. 12Commercial lead-in to Clean
  13. 17Move like a snake
  14. 19Spanish term of endearment
  15. 21Early search engine
  16. 23Distant
  17. 24Green shade
  18. 25Wave the white flag
  19. 26Where toe beans are found
  20. 28Minecraft mineral
  21. 29"__ outta here!"
  22. 32Deal (with)
  23. 34Low-quality A.I.-generated content
  24. 35Reveled in
  25. 37E.B. White's "__ Little"
  26. 38Gives a darn
  27. 39One to share a matching bracelet with, informally
  28. 40Unagi roll fish
  29. 43Radius locale
  30. 44__ chi: martial art
  31. 46Biological catalyst
  32. 47Fashion designer Fisher
  33. 49"__ a nap!"
  34. 50Sends
  35. 52First-rate
  36. 54Actress Longoria
  37. 55Puppy noise
  38. 56Countless lifetimes
  39. 58__ salt
  40. 59Goof up
  41. 60Caustic compound

The answer to “Pet pest” in the LA Times crossword is FLEA — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the LA Times crossword on September 23, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 48-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Pet pest” answer

FLEA (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is FLEA.

What does FLEA mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of FLEA is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a small wingless jumping insect which feeds on the blood of mammals and birds. It sometimes transmits diseases through its bite, including plague and myxomatosis

When else has “Pet pest” appeared?

LA Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

September 23, 2026 (most recent) → FLEA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Pet pest”?

The answer is FLEA, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the LA Times crossword on September 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Pet pest”?

4 letters: FLEA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the LA Times crossword on September 23, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 48-Across.

Can “Pet pest” have a different answer?

Yes — LA Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's LA Times answers?

The full grid for September 23, 2026 is on the LA Times answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

LA Times Crossword is published by Los Angeles Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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