Tortoise's rival in a fable

Latest answer — October 05, 2026

46 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

In Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare,” the hare races against the tortoise and is its rival. A hare is a long-eared mammal related to, but distinct from, a rabbit.

Clue type:
Definition
An illustration shows a hare racing alongside a tortoise.

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Monday, October 05, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1On the same side in a conflict
  2. 7Concert sound booster
  3. 10School fundraising org.
  4. 13Part of a squad
  5. 15Meat in a Cubano
  6. 16Sweet, yogurt-based South Asian beverage
  7. 17Streaming device with a "city"
  8. 18Like a desert's climate
  9. 19Bursts of occurrences
  10. 21Mom's partner, sometimes
  11. 23One of four in the contiguous United States
  12. 25Internet profiles with viral images
  13. 28Female deer
  14. 291990 civil rights law, for short
  15. 30Possible reason to wear a hat
  16. 34Prefix with "manage" or "behave"
  17. 35Hybrid instruments with shoulder straps
  18. 36___ B. Wells (NAACP co-founder)
  19. 37Sport for the Las Vegas Aces
  20. 39Opposite of bottom
  21. 40Got some takeout
  22. 41Permit
  23. 43Hip replacement sites, for short
  24. 44"Get me out of here!" key
  25. 45Noah's ___
  26. 46Tortoise's rival in a fable
  27. 48Actor Penn
  28. 50Bonobos, e.g.
  29. 52High-intensity exercise routine focused on functional movements
  30. 60Eye part that changes size
  31. 61"Just us?"
  32. 62Somewhat
  33. 63Physical response to fear

Down

  1. 1Currently, in a text
  2. 2Name hidden in "Eleanor"
  3. 3PC connection
  4. 4"Let's do it!"
  5. 5Angsty hip-hop genre
  6. 6BLT purveyor
  7. 7Core muscles
  8. 8Month, in Spanish
  9. 9Object that creates a rainbow
  10. 10Software used to enhance images
  11. 11Unavailable
  12. 12Entertain
  13. 14Angry
  14. 17Shaving tool
  15. 20Spa treatments for dogs?
  16. 21Act as a go-between
  17. 22Accumulates
  18. 23Presentation given on a circular red carpet
  19. 24"Will do that," formally
  20. 25African venomous snake
  21. 26Aid and ___
  22. 27Establishment that might host "Drag Race" viewings
  23. 31"The Good Dinosaur" protagonist
  24. 32Really love
  25. 33Talks on and on and on
  26. 35Barbie's boyfriend
  27. 38Relaxes and hangs out
  28. 42"___ Waldo?"
  29. 45ET on TV in the 1980s
  30. 47Lopsided
  31. 49Language for Hailey Cooper in the Spider-Man video games
  32. 50Nowhere to be found
  33. 51Habitat for koi fish
  34. 521099-NEC expert
  35. 53___ it in (gloat)
  36. 54Essie competitor
  37. 55LLC alternative
  38. 56Also
  39. 57Soccer chant
  40. 58Iowa's country (Abbr.)
  41. 59Vietnamese holiday

The answer to “Tortoise's rival in a fable” in the USA Today crossword is HARE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 5, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 46-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.

“Tortoise's rival in a fable” answer

HARE (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 HARE.

What does HARE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a fast-running, long-eared mammal that resembles a large rabbit, having very long hind legs and typically found in grassland or open woodland

When else has “Tortoise's rival in a fable” 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 5, 2026 (most recent) → HARE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Tortoise's rival in a fable”?

The answer is HARE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 5, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Tortoise's rival in a fable”?

4 letters: HARE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on October 5, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 46-Across.

Can “Tortoise's rival in a fable” 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 5, 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.

Crossword Clues

Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.