Hotter cousin of a jalapeno

Editorially verified for the Aug 30, 2026

14 Down

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Fresh serrano and jalapeño peppers shown together for comparison.

Clue explained

A serrano is a hot green chili pepper, generally hotter than a jalapeño. The clue calls it a “cousin” because both are common varieties of chili pepper, not because they are literal relatives.

Clue type:
Definition

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 30, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1___ top (midriff-exposing shirt)
  2. 5Cause of some trips
  3. 8Parts of processes
  4. 13Queen of Olympus
  5. 14Grain storage structure
  6. 15"A little bird told me . . ."
  7. 16Plugging away
  8. 17Give off, like rays
  9. 18Running total
  10. 19It requires a delicate balance
  11. 22College, to a Brit
  12. 23Surgeons' workplaces (Abbr.)
  13. 24"Finders keepers, ___ weepers"
  14. 28Country with a famous canal
  15. 30Film that might have someone wired?
  16. 32Capitol Hill group
  17. 34"Makes no difference to me," in texts
  18. 35Bubble tea morsels
  19. 40"So cute!"
  20. 41"I'm gonna pass"
  21. 42Perches for frogs
  22. 46H Mart and Kmart
  23. 50___ card (ATM directive)
  24. 51Nintendo consoles with Nunchuks
  25. 52911 responder
  26. 53Money from the fire department?
  27. 57Strums, like a guitar
  28. 60Type of bean used as a pho garnish
  29. 61Agitate
  30. 62Summer camp boat
  31. 63It might help you choose sides?
  32. 64"___ of Dogs" (Wes Anderson film)
  33. 65Teapot part
  34. 66"Don't delay!"
  35. 67Loch with a cryptid

Down

  1. 1Talk to
  2. 2Scannable eye part
  3. 3Starting point
  4. 4Garden walkway
  5. 5Long rides?
  6. 6Lose your footing
  7. 7Be adoring
  8. 8"Arrested Development," e.g.
  9. 9"You don't say?"
  10. 10Long, narrow fish
  11. 11Pen ___ (snail-mail friend)
  12. 12Texter's "Whoops"
  13. 14Hotter cousin of a jalapeno
  14. 20Marisa who played Aunt May
  15. 21Raisman with three Olympic gold medals
  16. 25Malicious
  17. 26Unburdens
  18. 27Short instant
  19. 29Venomous viper
  20. 30Palindromic math subject, for short
  21. 31___ up (invigorates)
  22. 33___-washed jeans
  23. 35Bed size for one person, ironically
  24. 36Tools for making belt holes
  25. 37Becoming less harsh
  26. 38Bit of hijinks
  27. 39Apt rhyme for "Pooh"
  28. 40"Dear Girls" memoirist Wong
  29. 43Possible response to "Who, me?"
  30. 44Like one's favorite radio stations, often
  31. 45Off-road ride
  32. 47Restful state
  33. 48Contacts via Google or Yahoo
  34. 49Fashions, trends or fashion trends
  35. 51Casual "Shall we?"
  36. 54"The Crown" actor Corrin
  37. 55Desires a do-over
  38. 56CNN host Burnett
  39. 57Non-Mac computers
  40. 58Track meet unit
  41. 59"Sorry, it's ___ from me"

The answer to “Hotter cousin of a jalapeno” in the USA Today crossword is SERRANO — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 30, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 14-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.

“Hotter cousin of a jalapeno” answer

SERRANO (7 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 SERRANO.

What does SERRANO mean?

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

(noun)

  • a small green chilli pepper of a very hot variety

When else has “Hotter cousin of a jalapeno” 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 30, 2026 (most recent) → SERRANO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Hotter cousin of a jalapeno”?

The answer is SERRANO, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 30, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Hotter cousin of a jalapeno”?

7 letters: SERRANO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 30, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 14-Down.

Can “Hotter cousin of a jalapeno” 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 30, 2026 is on the USA Today answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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