Flash seen before hearing thunder

Latest answer — August 20, 2026

40 Across

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An educational illustration showing a lightning flash occurring before the later sound of thunder.

Clue explained

The flash seen before thunder is a LIGHTNING BOLT, because light travels faster than sound. The grid closes the two-word phrase into LIGHTNINGBOLT.

Clue type:
Definition

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 20, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Phoenix Opera solo
  2. 5"Do your ___!"
  3. 10Take orders from
  4. 14Pear suitable for poaching
  5. 15Really mad
  6. 16Like stallions and bulls
  7. 17Alley target in a Wii Sports game
  8. 19Ticks off
  9. 20Do better than
  10. 21Areas of land
  11. 23Drink that might be served with crumpets
  12. 24Need to pay
  13. 27"___ corte de rosas y espinas" (Sarah J. Maas novel translated by Margara Averbach)
  14. 28Spigot
  15. 31Trips around the sun (Abbr.)
  16. 33Proves versatile
  17. 35"Days of ___ Lives"
  18. 36Orchard units
  19. 38Counterpart of ecstasy
  20. 40Flash seen before hearing thunder
  21. 44"Hidden Figures" star Janelle
  22. 45Airport annoyance
  23. 46Long, long time
  24. 47Vegas venue whose interior includes the world's largest LED screen
  25. 50Write to Dear Abby, say
  26. 53Boxing ref's call
  27. 54"___ Te Ching"
  28. 55The Broncos, on a scoreboard
  29. 57Brain scan (Abbr.)
  30. 59Home on a Kingdomino starting tile
  31. 62Turn into mush
  32. 64Sign of things to come
  33. 66Classic parade streamer material
  34. 69Dryer fuzz
  35. 70Causing goose bumps
  36. 71Gorillas and gibbons
  37. 72Prom partner
  38. 73"I'm ___ in the back of the car / And I cried like a baby comin' home from the bar"
  39. 74In this location

Down

  1. 1Monastery figure
  2. 2"Carol" star Mara
  3. 3"That's the truth!"
  4. 46-Down that defends legal rights
  5. 5Take the prize
  6. 64-Down, e.g.
  7. 7Spellbound
  8. 8Provoke
  9. 9Rent payer
  10. 10Leave out
  11. 11Happy hour seat
  12. 12Yellowstone creature
  13. 13"Definitely!"
  14. 18Stock debut, for short
  15. 22Honeydew alternative
  16. 25Toad's bump
  17. 26Blissful spot
  18. 29Woman with nieces, say
  19. 30Be nosy
  20. 32It's a long story!
  21. 34Parenthetical bit
  22. 37Ice holders
  23. 39"El perro" painter Francisco
  24. 40Window-shop, perhaps
  25. 41Not guilty
  26. 42Brainy person
  27. 43Pure delight
  28. 44Was introduced to
  29. 48Tapped gently
  30. 49___-than-thou
  31. 51Colorful wrap
  32. 52Real gem
  33. 56"All Things Considered" network
  34. 58Honking flock
  35. 60Poker payment
  36. 61Beige shade
  37. 63State home to Bryce Canyon
  38. 64Ancient
  39. 65"The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" protagonist
  40. 67Folks
  41. 68Cartoon shriek

The answer to “Flash seen before hearing thunder” in the USA Today crossword is LIGHTNINGBOLT — a 13-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 20, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 40-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.

“Flash seen before hearing thunder” answer

LIGHTNINGBOLT (13 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 LIGHTNINGBOLT.

When else has “Flash seen before hearing thunder” 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.

August 20, 2026 (most recent) → LIGHTNINGBOLT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Flash seen before hearing thunder”?

The answer is LIGHTNINGBOLT, a 13-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Flash seen before hearing thunder”?

13 letters: LIGHTNINGBOLT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 20, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 40-Across.

Can “Flash seen before hearing thunder” 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 August 20, 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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