Former ninth planet

Latest answer — September 16, 2026

48 Down

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Clue explained

Pluto was classified as the ninth planet until its reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006. “Former” signals that its planetary status is historical.

Clue type:
Definition
A NASA image of Pluto showing its bright heart-shaped region.

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Moving day vehicle
  2. 4UFC sport
  3. 7"Thor" actor Hemsworth
  4. 12"Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" Mary J. ___
  5. 14"That's my theory"
  6. 16Spa garments
  7. 17USPS delivery, colloquially
  8. 18Cain's brother
  9. 19Core belief
  10. 20Compensated vacation (Abbr.)
  11. 21Person's rank among others around them
  12. 25Gumbo vegetable
  13. 26Builds
  14. 30Heroes' companions
  15. 35Industry for Alibaba and Amazon
  16. 36___ and proper
  17. 37Lions' sounds
  18. 39Oak or elm
  19. 40"Shush!"
  20. 42Really bringing it
  21. 44Protractors measure them
  22. 46"Couldn't agree more!"
  23. 47"I'd like to be updated"
  24. 53Knee stabilizer, for short
  25. 56Spiral shape in DNA
  26. 57Formally give
  27. 58Post-abacus but pre-calculator device
  28. 60Tower-building game
  29. 61Person who plays a big part in Hollywood?
  30. 62Word before "peace" or "child"
  31. 63Some seeded loaves
  32. 64Ottawa's province, for short
  33. 65Honey wine

Down

  1. 1Using AI to program
  2. 2Not stand the test of time
  3. 3Duck Hunt console
  4. 4Moistens, like produce
  5. 5"Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe" painter
  6. 6Yoga position
  7. 7What people learn about through world travel
  8. 8"Let me think"
  9. 9"You ___ what you sow"
  10. 10"That so?"
  11. 11Musician's time to shine
  12. 12Garments that might be shed upon returning home
  13. 13University of New Mexico athlete
  14. 15Spanish for "seven"
  15. 22Noah's ___
  16. 23Villain's hideout
  17. 24Give some background information before telling a story
  18. 27Mini signal source?
  19. 28Section of some wedding cakes
  20. 29Winter glider
  21. 30Org. whose website has a "Spay & Neuter" tab
  22. 31Tehran's country
  23. 32Tooth you can't eat with
  24. 33"Interior Chinatown" actor Archie
  25. 34___ Lanka
  26. 38Food stamp initials
  27. 41Giggle sound
  28. 43Engineered crop, for short
  29. 45Oracles
  30. 48Former ninth planet
  31. 49Italian fashion hub
  32. 50Apply, like pressure
  33. 51Double-___ sword
  34. 52Cherished
  35. 53Genre inducing pleasant tingles (Abbr.)
  36. 54Be sickeningly sweet
  37. 55"Long ___" (Taylor Swift song)
  38. 59Insult
  39. 60"He's dead, ___" ("Star Trek" catchphrase)

The answer to “Former ninth planet” in the USA Today crossword is PLUTO — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 16, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 48-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.

“Former ninth planet” answer

PLUTO (5 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 PLUTO.

What does PLUTO mean?

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

(noun)

  • a small planetary body orbiting the sun, discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh
  • the god of the underworld

When else has “Former ninth planet” 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 16, 2026 (most recent) → PLUTO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Former ninth planet”?

The answer is PLUTO, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Former ninth planet”?

5 letters: PLUTO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on September 16, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 48-Down.

Can “Former ninth planet” 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 16, 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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