Creature that's spotted outdoors

Latest answer — September 27, 2026

11 Down

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Clue explained

A LEOPARD is a spotted wild cat that may be encountered outdoors. “Spotted” describes its coat pattern and also makes the clue read as a playful sighting.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A spotted leopard walking through a grassy savanna.

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Sunday, September 27, 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. 1"Let's do this!"
  2. 9Hay there!
  3. 13Shoshone woman honored on a dollar coin
  4. 14Big dino with tiny arms
  5. 15Shades like red, orange and yellow
  6. 16"Knock it off!"
  7. 17Keeps a low profile
  8. 18Get ready to ask an important question, perhaps
  9. 20Place to get a hot stone massage
  10. 21Pub orders
  11. 22Space bar neighbor
  12. 23Kitty who's a Velcro pet
  13. 25Web portal with a butterfly logo
  14. 26Sabado o domingo
  15. 27Pub orders
  16. 28"Be right with you!"
  17. 32It might be requested on a self-date
  18. 33Assorted collection of sweets
  19. 34One of two roles in the game Sky Team
  20. 35On a winning streak
  21. 36Word after "Hoover" or "beaver"
  22. 39Made level
  23. 41Besmirch
  24. 42Handout at a bistro
  25. 43"You betcha!"
  26. 44___ four (small cake)
  27. 46Things you just have to have
  28. 47Put your foot down
  29. 49Indoor plant kept small through careful pruning
  30. 51"I live in a swamp! I put up signs! I'm a terrifying ___!"
  31. 52"That is, in fact, the truth about me!"
  32. 53Takes home
  33. 54Longest-living land animal in the world

Down

  1. 1Place to grow your own herbs
  2. 2High points
  3. 3Apple varieties
  4. 4Alter ___ (superhero's disguise)
  5. 5"Catch you soon!"
  6. 6"Yeah, not doing that"
  7. 7Insignificant
  8. 8Stand up in a studio?
  9. 9"Dynamite" band
  10. 10Draw for people who enjoy galleries and museums
  11. 11Creature that's spotted outdoors
  12. 12People living abroad, for short
  13. 13Travels by cruise ship
  14. 15"Last Christmas" band
  15. 19Outfit you might experiment with?
  16. 22Window alternative
  17. 24Traditional floral symbol of China
  18. 26Skrillex genre
  19. 28"Ted Lasso" actor Sudeikis
  20. 29Second-largest U.S. teachers union
  21. 30"We're done already?"
  22. 31404, for one
  23. 32Go from here to there in a snap
  24. 33Branch off
  25. 34Manning with two Super Bowl rings
  26. 36"You Gotta Be" singer
  27. 37Paid to play
  28. 38Ponder
  29. 40Alternative to credit
  30. 41Like a chord that sounds sad or moody
  31. 42Silences
  32. 45Brouhaha
  33. 46Longish skirt
  34. 48___ Moines, Iowa
  35. 50"I'll take that as ___"

The answer to “Creature that's spotted outdoors” in the USA Today crossword is LEOPARD — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 27, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 11-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.

“Creature that's spotted outdoors” answer

LEOPARD (7 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 LEOPARD.

What does LEOPARD mean?

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

(noun)

  • a large solitary cat that has a fawn or brown coat with black spots, native to the forests of Africa and southern Asia

When else has “Creature that's spotted outdoors” 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 27, 2026 (most recent) → LEOPARD. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Creature that's spotted outdoors”?

The answer is LEOPARD, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 27, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Creature that's spotted outdoors”?

7 letters: LEOPARD.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on September 27, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 11-Down.

Can “Creature that's spotted outdoors” 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 27, 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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