Fill in ___ blank

The answer to “Fill in ___ blank” in the USA Today crossword is THE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on July 21, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 51-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.

“Fill in ___ blank” answer

THE (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 THE.

Why the answer is THE

It's a common phrase that suggests a three-letter word is missing! 📝

What does THE mean?

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

When else has “Fill in ___ blank” 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 21, 2026 (most recent) → THE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions