The floor, in a children's game

Latest answer — October 06, 2026

16 Across

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Children balance on cushions and furniture while pretending the floor is lava.

Clue explained

In the children’s game “The Floor Is Lava,” players pretend the floor has become molten rock and try to stay off it—by scrambling onto furniture, cushions, or other safe spots. The clue gives the game’s imagined explanation for why the floor is off-limits.

Clue type:
Definition

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, October 06, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Bryce Canyon's state
  2. 5Aboveboard
  3. 10Harsh criticism
  4. 14Tomato type often used to make sauce
  5. 15"Let It Go" singer Menzel
  6. 16The floor, in a children's game
  7. 17Hearts or diamonds, e.g.
  8. 18Expert
  9. 19Prefix meaning "very"
  10. 20Rhyming phrase in the lesbian community describing a desire for a relationship to escalate quickly
  11. 23A vowel's point value in Scrabble
  12. 24Dog walker's accessory
  13. 25"That's so right!"
  14. 27Streaming interruptions
  15. 28Number that changes yearly
  16. 31Oregon's capital
  17. 32Prepares bread dough
  18. 35___ el hanout
  19. 36Doesn't move too fast
  20. 39"___ favor"
  21. 40Clay vessel for brewing
  22. 41Gather wool from a sheep
  23. 43"Woohoo!"
  24. 44EMT's lifesaving procedure
  25. 47Entertaining woman?
  26. 50Pong creator
  27. 52Brian who coined the term "ambient music"
  28. 53"Enough from me!"
  29. 57Decadent, like a cake
  30. 59Vegan hair care brand
  31. 60"The Princess Diaries" star Hathaway
  32. 61Long-haired toy dog from China, for short
  33. 62Giveaways, at the poker table
  34. 63"Drat!"
  35. 64Org.
  36. 65Best Comeback Athlete and Best Bowler, e.g.
  37. 66One of many on a dalmatian

Down

  1. 1___ K. Le Guin (author of "The Left Hand of Darkness")
  2. 2Took the show on the road
  3. 3Gal pals, in Spanish
  4. 4Despises
  5. 5Ritzy ride to the prom
  6. 6Dutch cheese
  7. 7Donate
  8. 8Nonreactive
  9. 9Dance for two
  10. 10Winter ailment
  11. 11Legislation for minimum wage, e.g.
  12. 12North-south streets in New York City
  13. 13___ Rahma (host of "SubwayTakes")
  14. 21Express gratitude to
  15. 22Lip balm brand
  16. 26Deck with a Major and Minor Arcana
  17. 29"___ whiz!"
  18. 30Right on a compass
  19. 32Gold standard?
  20. 33Just roll with it!
  21. 34Hotel visit
  22. 36Foot coverings that fit like a glove?
  23. 37Place to be pampered
  24. 38Devoted
  25. 39Fake people
  26. 41Tibetan ethnic group
  27. 42___ Speedwagon
  28. 44Brief sleep
  29. 45"Right now!"
  30. 46Sweetest, perhaps
  31. 48Zip around on wheels or on ice
  32. 49Backs up, like a video game
  33. 51Bygone Russian rulers
  34. 54Sharp startled sound
  35. 55Without purpose
  36. 56Scottish girl
  37. 58Egg layer

The answer to “The floor, in a children's game” in the USA Today crossword is LAVA — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 6, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 16-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.

“The floor, in a children's game” answer

LAVA (4 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 LAVA.

What does LAVA mean?

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

(noun)

  • hot molten or semi-fluid rock erupted from a volcano or fissure, or solid rock resulting from cooling of this

When else has “The floor, in a children's game” 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.

October 6, 2026 (most recent) → LAVA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “The floor, in a children's game”?

The answer is LAVA, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 6, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “The floor, in a children's game”?

4 letters: LAVA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on October 6, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 16-Across.

Can “The floor, in a children's game” 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 October 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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