Top-tier

Latest answer — August 21, 2026

17 Across

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A highly accomplished group receiving recognition.

Clue explained

ELITE means belonging to the highest rank or class, so it fits “top-tier.” It is an adjective here, though it can also be a noun for a select group.

Clue type:
Definition

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 21, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Lessen gradually
  2. 6Monumental
  3. 10Flaky rock
  4. 14Take a load off
  5. 15"Rubber duckie, you're the one / You make ___time lots of fun"
  6. 16Type of exam
  7. 17Top-tier
  8. 18Fairy tale beginning
  9. 19August 20, e.g.
  10. 20"To catch them is my real test / To train them is my cause" song
  11. 23Amazement
  12. 24Ask nosy questions
  13. 25Interfere, like with a lock's integrity
  14. 29Devoured
  15. 30Feeling blue
  16. 31It can be fragile or inflated
  17. 32"Top Gun" actor Kilmer
  18. 34Like someone who unplugs completely
  19. 38State that hosts RAGBRAI
  20. 39Regret
  21. 40Broadcasts
  22. 41Successor's challenge after replacing a legend
  23. 46Cooling cubes
  24. 47Chooses
  25. 48Outlaw
  26. 49Simmer with anger
  27. 51A, in German
  28. 52Chimpanzee, e.g.
  29. 55Hints that help decipher the meaning of an unfamiliar word
  30. 59Leah or Sean, for example
  31. 62Calf-length skirt
  32. 63Actors memorize them
  33. 64Widely adored person
  34. 65"Beware the ___ of March"
  35. 66Prefix similar to "mega"
  36. 67Word after "cereal" or "acai"
  37. 68Value of a penny
  38. 69Prone to giving orders

Down

  1. 1Stuffed cornmeal cake
  2. 2Under
  3. 3Look-___ (doppelganger)
  4. 4British museum
  5. 5Not taxable, e.g.
  6. 6Traditional wood for some piano keys
  7. 7What dogs do to regulate body temperature
  8. 8Bug bite symptom
  9. 9Fastest land animal
  10. 10Wi-Fi device
  11. 11Roth ___ (nest egg option)
  12. 12Purring pet
  13. 13Pub offering
  14. 21Cookie with a BTS variety
  15. 22Created
  16. 26Severe danger
  17. 27Aesthetic with emo influences
  18. 28Photoreceptors responsible for night vision
  19. 29"'Tis a shame"
  20. 30Copy editor's "Leave as-is"
  21. 32Essence of a crossword constructor's style
  22. 33"Oh, shucks!"
  23. 35Ridge on a guitar neck
  24. 36Commotion
  25. 37Acquire
  26. 38Sacred Egyptian bird
  27. 42Snack cake similar to a Swiss roll
  28. 43Amateur comic's event
  29. 44Memorial bio
  30. 45Star's groupies
  31. 50Infection-fighting immune system component
  32. 51Simply be
  33. 52Parent's sisters
  34. 53Social equals
  35. 54Writing assignment
  36. 56"A rising ___ lifts all boats"
  37. 57Paradise
  38. 58Stitch's pal
  39. 59Pen tip
  40. 60Commotion
  41. 61Cut the grass

The answer to “Top-tier” in the USA Today crossword is ELITE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 21, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 17-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.

“Top-tier” answer

ELITE (5 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 ELITE.

What does ELITE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society
  • a size of letter in typewriting, with 12 characters to the inch (about 4.7 to the centimetre)

When else has “Top-tier” 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 21, 2026 (most recent) → ELITE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Top-tier”?

The answer is ELITE, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Top-tier”?

5 letters: ELITE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 21, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 17-Across.

Can “Top-tier” 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 21, 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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