It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair

Latest answer — September 06, 2026

51 Across

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Clue explained

Rubbing a balloon against hair transfers electric charge and builds up static electricity, which can make the balloon cling to a wall or attract hair.

Clue type:
Definition
A balloon being rubbed against hair in a static-electricity demonstration.

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Sunday, September 06, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" aesthetic style
  2. 5Sephora competitor
  3. 9"All ___ are off!"
  4. 13Skin care staple
  5. 14"El sueno (La cama)" artist Frida
  6. 16Brainstorming product
  7. 17It begins on Ash Wednesday
  8. 18Enlightening
  9. 20Not stale
  10. 22"I'm right here" sound
  11. 23"What did I say?"
  12. 24In for it, say?
  13. 25School support org.
  14. 26Ink___ (Rorschach test components)
  15. 28Passion
  16. 30"Since U ___ Gone"
  17. 31Archer's asset
  18. 34Ice hockey fakeout
  19. 35Language from which "habibi" is derived
  20. 38Bumper cars don't have one
  21. 41Microwave
  22. 42"___ Kick It?" (A Tribe Called Quest song)
  23. 43Pine warbler's sound
  24. 44Snowy day toy
  25. 45Tattle
  26. 47"Enough!"
  27. 49Term of endearment
  28. 50Veggie that might be wasabi-coated
  29. 51It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair
  30. 53Person who knows when to hold 'em?
  31. 56Sleeps noisily
  32. 60Kool-___
  33. 61Olympic gymnast Comaneci
  34. 63"Skyfall" singer
  35. 64Fish seen, but not served, in some restaurants
  36. 65Apple desktops
  37. 66Mock
  38. 67Some characters in "Men in Black"
  39. 68They're pooh-poohed by Pooh
  40. 69Like an activated security system

Down

  1. 1Muscle used in a standing heel raise
  2. 2Paying attention
  3. 3Cash
  4. 4Spot to pamper your fur baby
  5. 5Four-stringed instrument, for short
  6. 6Place down
  7. 7London's West End, e.g.
  8. 8Honolulu "hello"
  9. 9Place for rubbish
  10. 10Antique light fixture component named for an inventor
  11. 11Belief
  12. 12Wise ones
  13. 15Midwesterner's "Excuse me"
  14. 19Fire remnant
  15. 21Crowd of people
  16. 25Game with royal flushes
  17. 27Tilts
  18. 29Z-axis measurement
  19. 30They're cast by voters
  20. 31Fundamentals
  21. 32Tehran's country
  22. 33Nail salon combos
  23. 36Store that sells more than 1 billion meatballs every year
  24. 37Surrender
  25. 39Windy day toys
  26. 40Ski area near Snowbird, UT
  27. 46Stuff that makes kitties go wild
  28. 48Candy-filled party item
  29. 51Tucson or Malibu, e.g.
  30. 52Programmer
  31. 53Speedboat's trail
  32. 54Real comedian
  33. 55Dalai ___
  34. 57500 sheets of paper
  35. 58"So what ___ is new?"
  36. 59Sesame bagel bit
  37. 62Pack animal

The answer to “It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair” in the USA Today crossword is STATIC — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 6, 2026, a Sunday 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.

“It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair” answer

STATIC (6 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 STATIC.

What does STATIC mean?

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

(adjective)

  • lacking in movement, action, or change, especially in an undesirable or uninteresting way
  • concerned with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium
  • (of an electric charge) having gathered on or in an object that cannot conduct a current

When else has “It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair” 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 6, 2026 (most recent) → STATIC. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair”?

The answer is STATIC, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 6, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair”?

6 letters: STATIC.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on September 6, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 51-Across.

Can “It can be built up by rubbing a balloon against hair” 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 6, 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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