Word before a maiden name

Editorially verified for the Aug 25, 2026

54 Across

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A formal biographical name showing a woman’s maiden surname after née

Clue explained

NÉE, conventionally written with an acute accent, means “born with the surname” and precedes a woman’s maiden name. Crossword grids commonly omit the accent, yielding NEE.

Clue type:
Word form

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, August 25, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Teary-eyed
  2. 6Energy of a person or place
  3. 10High-pile rug type
  4. 14Sound sometimes followed by "Gesundheit"
  5. 15Utopia
  6. 16Spanish greeting
  7. 17Charcuterie options
  8. 18Expensive bar?
  9. 19"___ have to do"
  10. 20Easter basket treat
  11. 23In the past
  12. 24It comes with a charge
  13. 25Wonderment
  14. 26JFK alternative
  15. 27Fisheye ___ (camera attachment with a bubblelike effect)
  16. 29Muhammara or baba ghanoush
  17. 31Painter's prop
  18. 33Serve as chairperson
  19. 37Tech that helps you not get lost
  20. 38Trattoria menu staple
  21. 40Like some curry
  22. 42___ cold brew
  23. 43Goose sound
  24. 44Macro or micro subj.
  25. 46Boo-boos
  26. 50Fluffy female on a farm
  27. 51___ bun (Chinese snack)
  28. 52"Sex and the City" actress Cattrall
  29. 54Word before a maiden name
  30. 55Teen drama starring Kristen Bell
  31. 58Fun crime flick
  32. 61Low-carb diet
  33. 62Where most of Russia is located
  34. 63Solo
  35. 64"Sign me up"
  36. 65Appear to be
  37. 66Change the wall color, say
  38. 67Ages
  39. 68Farm area unit

Down

  1. 1The blue whale is the largest one
  2. 2Cold period that was dominated by megafauna
  3. 3Singer Jones who fronted the Dap-Kings
  4. 4Toys for ___ (charity drive)
  5. 5Dinosaur introduced in "Super Mario World"
  6. 6Lifestyle that eschews animal products
  7. 7Celebrated figure
  8. 8"The Last of Us" actor Ramsey
  9. 9Provide with a grant
  10. 10Freighter, for example
  11. 11Resort amenity that may offer massages
  12. 12Claims
  13. 13Rhyming friend
  14. 21Fashion industry worker
  15. 22Teeny-tiny
  16. 28Bit of dust
  17. 30Instrument that's hard to move
  18. 32Radiating joy
  19. 34Beam of light
  20. 35Savor the moment
  21. 36Superlative suffix
  22. 38Climbing plant
  23. 39Scent
  24. 40Female pronoun
  25. 41Comic strip syllable
  26. 44Body part that rhymes with "hear"
  27. 45Bake sale treat
  28. 47"Just a moment!"
  29. 48More likely to creep you out
  30. 49Type of bagel covered in white seeds
  31. 51Hat recently sported by John Travolta at Cannes
  32. 53Worshipped celebrities
  33. 55___ diagram
  34. 56Fish who got lost in a 2003 Pixar film
  35. 57Tortilla dough
  36. 58Upper limit
  37. 59In the style of
  38. 60Polynesian paste

The answer to “Word before a maiden name” in the USA Today crossword is NEE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 25, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 54-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.

“Word before a maiden name” answer

NEE (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 NEE.

What does NEE mean?

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

(adjective)

  • originally called; born (used in giving a married woman's maiden name after her surname)

When else has “Word before a maiden name” 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 25, 2026 (most recent) → NEE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Word before a maiden name”?

The answer is NEE, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Word before a maiden name”?

3 letters: NEE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 25, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 54-Across.

Can “Word before a maiden name” 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 25, 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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