Homophone of 40-Down

Editorially verified for the Aug 24, 2026

46 Down

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A simple educational illustration showing the homophones “ale” and “ail.”

Clue explained

AIL sounds like ALE, the answer to 40-Down, but is spelled differently and means to be sick or troubled. “Homophone” directly signals this sound-alike relationship.

Clue type:
Cross-reference

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 24, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1___ pet (1970s fad)
  2. 5Tropical tree
  3. 9Best Casting, for one
  4. 14Provide free of charge
  5. 15Bhutan's continent
  6. 16Chicago hub
  7. 17Wham-O toy with some serious bounce
  8. 19Peeled
  9. 20Sources of precious metals
  10. 21Kenai Fjords National Park state
  11. 23Floating aimlessly
  12. 25Camp bed
  13. 2612/24 and 12/31
  14. 29"Lady Marmalade" singer LaBelle
  15. 30"___: The Art of Creative Knotting"
  16. 32Sticky substance
  17. 33Sparkly headpiece
  18. 35"This instant!"
  19. 36School safety exercise
  20. 39Ziploc product
  21. 42Searches for
  22. 43Insurance company named for a volcano
  23. 47'90s Nickelodeon show with Kenan Thompson
  24. 49___ Gras
  25. 50"Sounds good to me!"
  26. 51WNBA's Sky, on scoreboards
  27. 53Automatic alternative
  28. 54Ready for takeoff or landing
  29. 56Nickname for a longtime Yankee
  30. 57Polite refusal
  31. 59Burning the midnight oil
  32. 63Vote into office
  33. 64"I solved it!"
  34. 65Condescending Wonka, e.g.
  35. 66To-do list items
  36. 67Negroni liquor
  37. 68"NBA Countdown" network

Down

  1. 1Includes on an email chain
  2. 2Astros, on scoreboards
  3. 3Potato chips, for Art Vandelay
  4. 4Drink before dinner
  5. 5Blue Ribbon brewer
  6. 6Happy ___ clam
  7. 7Pale purple flower
  8. 8Seasonal Nabisco cookies featuring graham cracker and chocolate
  9. 9"That was clumsy of me!"
  10. 10Salt dispenser
  11. 11Group of travelers
  12. 12"What ___ you up to?"
  13. 13Shiraz, e.g.
  14. 18Put a fresh surface on
  15. 22Pong maker
  16. 23World Party Day mo.
  17. 24"Lost" star Daniel ___ Kim
  18. 27Angsty music genre
  19. 28Work with a Singer
  20. 31Fried squid dish
  21. 33Sprouts canines
  22. 34"Not sure," for short
  23. 37Show emotion, say
  24. 38Bill Withers song with the lyric "I'm right up the road / I'll share your load"
  25. 39Chesapeake, e.g.
  26. 40Part of IPA
  27. 41Part of a Meg Griffin costume
  28. 44Plods
  29. 45Confidentiality doc
  30. 46Homophone of 40-Down
  31. 48Sudden feeling that kills romantic attraction
  32. 52Item on a dog's collar
  33. 53Like Tulum
  34. 55Theater and painting, for two
  35. 57After expenses
  36. 58"___, como vai?"
  37. 60Sushi tuna
  38. 61Diamond expert?
  39. 62Pig holder

The answer to “Homophone of 40-Down” in the USA Today crossword is AIL — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 24, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 46-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.

“Homophone of 40-Down” answer

AIL (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 AIL.

What does AIL mean?

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

(verb)

  • trouble or afflict (someone) in mind or body

When else has “Homophone of 40-Down” 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 24, 2026 (most recent) → AIL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Homophone of 40-Down”?

The answer is AIL, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 24, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Homophone of 40-Down”?

3 letters: AIL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 24, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 46-Down.

Can “Homophone of 40-Down” 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 24, 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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