Be one's best self

Latest answer — August 19, 2026

45 Down

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Clue explained

To be one’s best self is to thrive—to grow, function, and flourish at one’s highest level. THRIVE is the verb completing the clue’s phrase.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
A person engaged in a healthy, energetic activity.

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, August 19, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Coke or Pepsi
  2. 5Mooing grazers
  3. 9"Just so you know!" ads
  4. 13"Sad to say . . ."
  5. 14Speed-measuring tech
  6. 15Equity-focused community center, for short
  7. 16Neighborhood with designer boutiques
  8. 19Mike Wazowski from "Monsters, Inc." has one big one
  9. 20Top group of celebs
  10. 21___ sweet ___
  11. 22Soup with a tonkotsu variety
  12. 24Late payment, e.g.
  13. 26Supergoop! bottle letters
  14. 28One-___ (single occurrences)
  15. 30Photocopier brand
  16. 32Manual's counterpart
  17. 33Dentist's thread
  18. 35Pottery or glassblowing, for example
  19. 36Go up
  20. 37"Straight from the manufacturer" purchase option
  21. 41Large flightless bird
  22. 42"What do ___ mean?"
  23. 43Not wild
  24. 44Take a power nap, say
  25. 46Google Maps technology
  26. 48Pain-relieving hemp product, for short
  27. 52Tool used for tilling
  28. 54Arthur for whom the ESPYs' Courage Award is named
  29. 56Kissing in the park, e.g.
  30. 57Hardly a saint
  31. 61Handheld game that shouts instructions
  32. 62Word before "position" or "vault"
  33. 63Taylor Swift's "The ___ Tour"
  34. 64Over
  35. 65With no other changes
  36. 66Corn unit
  37. 67Colorado ski town
  38. 68Past the deadline
  39. 69Trippy tab

Down

  1. 1Barista's workplace
  2. 2Skincare brand that sounds like an exclamation
  3. 3Intense concentration
  4. 4Fireplace remains
  5. 5Dog
  6. 6"What are the ___?"
  7. 7"Any minute now . . ."
  8. 8Soon-to-be alumni (Abbr.)
  9. 9Prefix with "technic"
  10. 10Bikini, e.g.
  11. 11Is OK with
  12. 12Stopped standing
  13. 14Watch brand with a crown logo
  14. 17"That's me!"
  15. 18Run of ___ mill
  16. 23Aide (Abbr.)
  17. 25"Even more dairy" pizza request
  18. 27Nemesis
  19. 28"Shark Tank" proposal
  20. 29Feature of the Portland Fire and Miami Heat logos
  21. 31Awesomesauce
  22. 32Followed a curved path
  23. 34Vegan milk option
  24. 38Walkie-talkie user's "Gotcha"
  25. 39"Gotcha"
  26. 40Glowing fireplace bit
  27. 45Be one's best self
  28. 47Fried South Asian snack
  29. 49Performances with arias
  30. 50Driver's license, e.g.
  31. 51Back muscles, for short
  32. 53Frequently
  33. 55Divided
  34. 57Keychain attachments
  35. 58Each
  36. 59Milky gemstone
  37. 60Sense
  38. 61Sheep's sound

The answer to “Be one's best self” in the USA Today crossword is THRIVE — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 19, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 45-Down. 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.

“Be one's best self” answer

THRIVE (6 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 THRIVE.

What does THRIVE mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of a child, animal, or plant) grow or develop well or vigorously

When else has “Be one's best self” appeared?

USA Today 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.

August 19, 2026 (most recent) → THRIVE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Be one's best self”?

The answer is THRIVE, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Be one's best self”?

6 letters: THRIVE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 19, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 45-Down.

Can “Be one's best self” have a different answer?

Yes — USA Today 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 USA Today answers?

The full grid for August 19, 2026 is on the USA Today answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

USA Today Crossword is published by USA Today; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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