Fairy-tale baddie

Latest answer — July 19, 2026

38 Across

Think of a large, grumpy creature often found in children’s stories! 🧚

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Sunday, July 19, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Velvety tree growth
  2. 5Ran in the wash
  3. 9Dried poblano
  4. 14Two-stringed instrument
  5. 15Currency in Cork or Cadiz
  6. 16Like some high-profile World Cup videos
  7. 17Unfair omission
  8. 18"No pain, no ___"
  9. 19Unaccompanied
  10. 2031-, 36- and 40-Across, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
  11. 23Prickly parts of rosebushes
  12. 24Futbol announcer's shout
  13. 25Cunning, like a fox
  14. 28Mai ___
  15. 29Foldable bed
  16. 30Just slightly
  17. 31Northernmost of the three 20-Across
  18. 33"No man is an ___"
  19. 35Low-lying land
  20. 36Central of the three 20-Across
  21. 38Fairy-tale baddie
  22. 39Sings wordlessly
  23. 40Southernmost of the three 20-Across
  24. 42Lionel Messi, for the 2022 World Cup
  25. 43Genre for GloRilla
  26. 45Put a coat on?
  27. 49Tousles, like hair
  28. 51Intensify
  29. 52Stifles oneself
  30. 54Knight's title
  31. 55Vietnamese New Year
  32. 56Location of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
  33. 59Beg
  34. 60Chimpanzee, e.g.
  35. 61Farmland measure
  36. 62Impulsive speed
  37. 63All over the ___
  38. 64Hibernation site

Down

  1. 1Fishnetlike material
  2. 2". . . but I could be mistaken"
  3. 3"Quiet down!"
  4. 4Pretax amounts
  5. 5Colorful, ornamental flower
  6. 6Some Polynesian feasts
  7. 7ESPN sportscaster Andrews
  8. 8"No! Stay with me instead"
  9. 9To no ___
  10. 10River that flows by Sudan's Nubian pyramids
  11. 11Piece of a soccer goal
  12. 12China's largest ethnic group
  13. 13World Cup cheer
  14. 21Common origami bird
  15. 22Saag paneer scooper
  16. 26Touch___ (side boundary of a soccer field)
  17. 27Since Jan. 1
  18. 29Public defender's assignment
  19. 30Vice president during the last World Cup played in North America
  20. 31Tent-pitching places
  21. 32Get rid of
  22. 34Goal-oriented father?
  23. 35Horn that was a staple of the 2010 World Cup
  24. 37Wood-splitting tool
  25. 39"Let me think . . ."
  26. 41Country where kathak is performed
  27. 43Live
  28. 44"HAH! Yeah, right!"
  29. 46Positive shift
  30. 47Note after D?
  31. 48Explosive stuff
  32. 50Wet impact sound
  33. 53One of 48 competing in the 2026 World Cup
  34. 54It's part of the process!
  35. 56Speed stat
  36. 57Rejuvenating place
  37. 58Cold treatment for injuries

The answer to “Fairy-tale baddie” in the USA Today crossword is OGRE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on July 19, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 38-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.

“Fairy-tale baddie” answer

OGRE (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 OGRE.

Why the answer is OGRE

Think of a large, grumpy creature often found in children’s stories! 🧚

What does OGRE mean?

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

(noun)

  • (in folklore) a man-eating giant

When else has “Fairy-tale baddie” 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.

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Fairy-tale baddie”?

The answer is OGRE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on July 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Fairy-tale baddie”?

4 letters: OGRE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on July 19, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 38-Across.

Can “Fairy-tale baddie” 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 July 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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