Tap gently

Latest answer — September 09, 2026

12 Down

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Clue explained

To PAT is to tap or touch something lightly and gently. The answer is a verb in its base form.

Clue type:
Definition
A hand gently patting a surface.

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 09, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Some Nunavik residents
  2. 6Video game character with a "plumbob"
  3. 9"Now!"
  4. 13"Yellowstone" setting
  5. 14___ facto
  6. 15Head over heels
  7. 16On a Mediterranean cruise, e.g.
  8. 17"Not now!"
  9. 18Boatloads
  10. 19Monarch portrayed by Emily Blunt and Jenna Coleman
  11. 22Some plans for the future?
  12. 23Ginger ___
  13. 24What a distracted mind may do
  14. 27Part of a tennis match
  15. 28Knee part, for short
  16. 29Wile E. Coyote purchase
  17. 30Nursing ___
  18. 31Singer's asset
  19. 33___ and fuzzy feelings
  20. 34"Buh-byeeee!"
  21. 38Doe's kid
  22. 40Pig's digs
  23. 41Pet that may scratch your chairs
  24. 42"Just kidding, that's not true"
  25. 44Heavy weight
  26. 45"Indeed, my good sir"
  27. 48Animated image
  28. 49Protective tooth coating
  29. 53"___ No Mountain High Enough"
  30. 54Cartoon Network series with a half-Gem hero
  31. 57Working hard
  32. 58Not domesticated
  33. 59Give a speech
  34. 60___ -to-know basis
  35. 61Spanish for "this"
  36. 62More extensive
  37. 63"The Pitt" roles (Abbr.)
  38. 64Horsepower regulator?
  39. 65Oozes

Down

  1. 1Many Baghdad residents
  2. 2Word after "human" or "second"
  3. 3Remove from office
  4. 4Slushy refreshments
  5. 5"Larger ___ Life" (Backstreet Boys song)
  6. 6What clutter takes up
  7. 7"That so?"
  8. 8The Supremes' record label
  9. 9For a second time
  10. 10French or Italian destination?
  11. 11Many moons ___
  12. 12Tap gently
  13. 14"Hard pass"
  14. 20Short getaways?
  15. 21Tattletale
  16. 25Write "you're" instead of "your," say
  17. 26Truck brand with an animal logo
  18. 28"The Times They ___ A-Changin'"
  19. 29Number of WNBA players on the court at a time
  20. 32"Don't be that ___"
  21. 33Like someone exiting a log ride, maybe
  22. 34Many "Eras Tour" attendees
  23. 35Opposite of WSW
  24. 36Cause for some lettuce recalls
  25. 37Scooby-Doo gang's vehicle
  26. 38Fruit in many a Newton
  27. 39Major celebrity
  28. 43Software programmer, for short
  29. 44Bone-muscle connector
  30. 45Angry rant
  31. 46Arched part of the foot
  32. 47Guides a car
  33. 50More current
  34. 51It gives ouzo its flavor
  35. 52Prefix for "plex"
  36. 53Airy-sounding home?
  37. 55Takeoff guess at LAX
  38. 56Wedding promises
  39. 57"Then what?"

The answer to “Tap gently” in the USA Today crossword is PAT — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 9, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 12-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.

“Tap gently” answer

PAT (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 PAT.

What does PAT mean?

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

(verb)

  • touch quickly and gently with the flat of the hand

When else has “Tap gently” 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 9, 2026 (most recent) → PAT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Tap gently”?

The answer is PAT, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on September 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Tap gently”?

3 letters: PAT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on September 9, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 12-Down.

Can “Tap gently” 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 9, 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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