"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."

Latest answer — September 23, 2026

26 Across

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Clue explained

“’TIS better to have loved and lost…” begins Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s famous line. ’TIS is the contraction of “it is,” with the apostrophe omitted in the grid.

Clue type:
Fill-in-the-blank
A portrait of poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, associated with the quoted line.

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 23, 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. 1Stops vacillating
  2. 5Doesn't feel 100%
  3. 9Meal that might include fries and a drink
  4. 14Hostess treat with a swirl
  5. 15Cashless transaction
  6. 16Cleaned one's plate
  7. 17Topmost sphere of a snowman
  8. 18Iconic Trader Joe's bag
  9. 19___ and repeat
  10. 20"Pass"
  11. 23Toronto Tempo guard Nurse
  12. 24Words exchanged at the altar
  13. 25Braying animal
  14. 26"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."
  15. 28What never pauses to reflect?
  16. 33College, to an Aussie
  17. 34Target of a Biore strip
  18. 35"You look amazing!"
  19. 38Chocolate confections
  20. 40People doing some sampling
  21. 42Warning from a boxer
  22. 43Rival Ken actor Liu
  23. 44Big ___ (huge favor)
  24. 45Group that might post with "#squadgoals"
  25. 48L.A. Times article?
  26. 494x4, for one
  27. 51Lois Griffin ___ Pewterschmidt
  28. 52Superlative suffix
  29. 54"Sounds like we settled the matter!"
  30. 61Porto-Novo's country
  31. 62Smog, e.g.
  32. 63Not doing anything
  33. 64Fred's neckwear on "Scooby-Doo"
  34. 65Makes an oopsy
  35. 66Neck part under a mullet
  36. 67Simple tops
  37. 68ASAP, in the ER
  38. 69"Greatly appreciated," in a text

Down

  1. 1"Didn't expect to see you here!"
  2. 2Andrea Gibson work
  3. 3"Grateful for any support you can provide"
  4. 4"Me too!"
  5. 5Italian wine region
  6. 6"Victory is mine!"
  7. 7Woven piecrust
  8. 8Swimwear brand that sponsors Ahalya Lettenberger
  9. 9Give a darn
  10. 10"Sex Education" protagonist
  11. 11Time off that might help prevent burnout
  12. 12Vehicles for students or roadies
  13. 13Columns with views
  14. 21Frog-to-be
  15. 22Apt name for a con man
  16. 26Rubber duckies' settings
  17. 27Involved with
  18. 29Atom with a charge
  19. 30Some Ditch Day participants (Abbr.)
  20. 31Doesn't bother to ask
  21. 32Something to build on
  22. 36"Ish"
  23. 37Judgy sounds
  24. 39"I'm freezing!"
  25. 40No-win situation
  26. 41Reddit Q&A
  27. 43"Love Lies Bleeding" star Kristen
  28. 46Author ___ M. Martin
  29. 47Gels
  30. 49Brave appearance?
  31. 50This and also this
  32. 53Stretch of work
  33. 55Hermanos de la madre
  34. 56Aardvark's snack
  35. 57Podcaster Klein
  36. 58Observe the Sabbath
  37. 59Yodeler's range?
  38. 60Abound

The answer to “"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."” in the USA Today crossword is TIS — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 23, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 26-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.

“"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."” answer

TIS (3 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 TIS.

When else has “"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."” 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.

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."”?

The answer is TIS, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."”?

3 letters: TIS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on September 23, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 26-Across.

Can “"___ better to have loved and lost . . ."” 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 September 23, 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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