Fifth wheel?

Latest answer — October 07, 2026

10 Down

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A spare tire stored in the trunk of a car.

Clue explained

A car’s spare tire is an extra wheel carried in case one of the usual four goes flat, making it a playful literal “fifth wheel.” The phrase “fifth wheel” can also describe an unwanted extra person, but the clue points to the car meaning.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, October 07, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1Online forum admins, for short
  2. 5Goals
  3. 9Speck in the sea
  4. 13Bitter-smelling
  5. 15Hurdle for an aspiring atty.
  6. 16Ready to receive a pass
  7. 17"Nifty!"
  8. 18"Just doing my best"
  9. 19Spellcasting tool
  10. 20Occasion for a tabletop meeting?
  11. 22Spots for some home gardens
  12. 23Actor de Armas
  13. 24___ tartare (alliterative fish dish)
  14. 25First-class
  15. 26"More info to come later" (Abbr.)
  16. 27Ballet garment
  17. 29Prof's helpers
  18. 32Scuffles
  19. 35Portmanteau for a content creator who might whisper in videos
  20. 37Midterms or finals
  21. 38Either . in :-)
  22. 39Fear-inducing
  23. 40One may be lukewarm
  24. 42Approval
  25. 43Educated guess (Abbr.)
  26. 44Performs like Sexyy Red
  27. 45"___ Stuff" (Donna Summer hit)
  28. 46Engage in an IRL fantasy battle
  29. 48End of a walkie-talkie message
  30. 50___ pen
  31. 53Like fish in need of scraping
  32. 55"Swear!"
  33. 57In it for the long ___
  34. 58Prize grabber in an arcade
  35. 59"Leave this instant!"
  36. 60"Thus . . ."
  37. 61Fine-tune
  38. 62Country where soup joumou is enjoyed
  39. 63Like a fireplace in need of cleaning
  40. 64Apple device whose smallest iteration, ironically, wasn't the Nano
  41. 65Baobabs or banyans

Down

  1. 1"One Piece," e.g.
  2. 2Atlantic or Pacific
  3. 3Genre for "The Pitt" or "The Crown"
  4. 4Location
  5. 5Set straight?
  6. 6"I need to know the answer now"
  7. 7Corner store
  8. 8Pigpen
  9. 9Des Moinesian or Davenporter
  10. 10Fifth wheel?
  11. 11Offer temporarily
  12. 12Brings to a close
  13. 14"You have nothing to apologize for"
  14. 21Birth control options, for short
  15. 22"I absolutely agree!"
  16. 25Cash source
  17. 26Short-term employee
  18. 28Function
  19. 30"C ___ crossword"
  20. 31Editor's "leave this"
  21. 32___ mortals
  22. 33Old flames
  23. 34Vindication for a comeback victor
  24. 36Try out
  25. 38Sixth sense, for short
  26. 41Take an afternoon rest
  27. 42*clears throat*
  28. 47Metallic mixture
  29. 49Promised
  30. 50Wish granter
  31. 51Be theatrical
  32. 52F1 driver Hamilton
  33. 53___ butter
  34. 54Pixar movie whose soundtrack includes "Life Is a Highway"
  35. 55"Ice cube dropping into water" sound
  36. 56Skyrocket
  37. 58Ho ___ Minh City

The answer to “Fifth wheel?” in the USA Today crossword is SPARETIRE — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 7, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 10-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.

“Fifth wheel?” answer

SPARETIRE (9 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 SPARETIRE.

When else has “Fifth wheel?” 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.

October 7, 2026 (most recent) → SPARETIRE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Fifth wheel?”?

The answer is SPARETIRE, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Fifth wheel?”?

9 letters: SPARETIRE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on October 7, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 10-Down.

Can “Fifth wheel?” 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 October 7, 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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