__ and downs

Editorially verified for the Aug 23, 2026

117 Down

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A roller coaster track with prominent rises and drops.

Clue explained

UPS completes the familiar phrase “ups and downs,” meaning alternating positive and negative experiences.

Clue type:
Fill-in-the-blank

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Purple or green herb
  2. 6Discovery org.
  3. 10"Bye-bye!"
  4. 15Electronic music duo __ Punk
  5. 19Skybox setting
  6. 20North __ Sea: Kazakh lake
  7. 21Finnish tech giant
  8. 22Finnish currency
  9. 23Cowboy boots, saddles, etc.?
  10. 25Linen-lined outerwear?
  11. 27Feed adequately
  12. 28Drama produced in a recording studio
  13. 30Birds associated with the Egyptian god Thoth
  14. 31Part of BTW
  15. 33South, south of the border
  16. 34Broccoli part
  17. 35Child's complaint to Father Time?
  18. 42"So helpful!"
  19. 46Wee bits
  20. 47Backless slippers
  21. 48"Pretentious? __?"
  22. 49Roman moon goddess
  23. 50Get ready
  24. 51Entourage
  25. 52Transparent layer in the eye
  26. 55Swine
  27. 56Unit of corn
  28. 57"I need to install brighter lights later"?
  29. 60Reacted to a chill
  30. 62Fragrant chain
  31. 63Unwanted giveaway?
  32. 64D-backs, in box scores
  33. 65Not in favor
  34. 69Printer supply
  35. 70West Indies country also known as the "Island of Spice"
  36. 74Produce, as an egg
  37. 75"Unfortunately, yes"
  38. 80Common finds in a salmon smokehouse?
  39. 84Mender's target
  40. 85Furisode sash
  41. 86Field with a trolley problem
  42. 87Decided
  43. 88Window shade
  44. 89Howler with four legs and teeth
  45. 91Having four sharps
  46. 92Bad look
  47. 93Start of a religious title
  48. 94In hot water?
  49. 97Country known for its devotion to a General Mills cereal?
  50. 99Currency of Vietnam
  51. 100Kung __ tofu
  52. 101Sargasso Sea fish
  53. 102Bert's favorite bird, on "Sesame Street"
  54. 105Doozy
  55. 110Icelandic saga
  56. 114Charon?
  57. 116High-strung Latin ruler?
  58. 118Father
  59. 119All fired up
  60. 120"Can't argue with that"
  61. 121Comic-Con event
  62. 122Name in a Chinese American dish
  63. 123Superhero who says, "For the honor of Grayskull!"
  64. 124Some tennis shots
  65. 125Gave one's word

Down

  1. 1Softball clubs
  2. 2Geographic region
  3. 3Exchange heated words?
  4. 4Certain close-up
  5. 5Cantopop star Andy
  6. 6Cabbage variety called "big white vegetable" in Chinese
  7. 7Three-time AL MVP in the 2000s
  8. 8South Asian wrap
  9. 9Palo __, California
  10. 10Mass arrival
  11. 11Grinding tooth
  12. 12"All right"
  13. 13Jam
  14. 14Dish served in a sizzling skillet
  15. 15__ point
  16. 16Arctic seabirds
  17. 17Available for a meeting
  18. 18Kiddos
  19. 24Grade before grades, for short
  20. 26Lie for, say
  21. 29Trident-shaped letters
  22. 32Possesses
  23. 34Waxes, maybe
  24. 35"Holy cannoli!"
  25. 36Marine Corps cry
  26. 37Ultrasound targets
  27. 38Be theatrical
  28. 39Can't-miss activity
  29. 40Otherwise
  30. 41Oracle
  31. 42Like favorite jeans
  32. 43Schoolkid
  33. 44"One Piece" medium
  34. 45Pilsner, for one
  35. 48Pluck
  36. 51Green gem
  37. 52Stage signals
  38. 53Like last month's deals
  39. 54Discordant, musically
  40. 57Badger
  41. 58Fallingwater architect Frank __ Wright
  42. 59Polynesian carving
  43. 61Converse rival
  44. 66Spot
  45. 67Chef's collection
  46. 68Speedy fish
  47. 70Exhibits brilliance
  48. 71K9 of "Doctor Who," for one
  49. 72Cast out
  50. 73Like post-marathon muscles
  51. 76French brother
  52. 77"This is not a __!"
  53. 78Exodus mount
  54. 79Eye-related
  55. 81Mattress choice
  56. 82Fillet's lack
  57. 83Peak
  58. 88Cutter with four legs and teeth
  59. 90Ships overnight, in a way
  60. 92Wearing 47-Across, perhaps
  61. 93Expected
  62. 95[And it's gone!]
  63. 96Some belly buttons
  64. 97GoPro product
  65. 98Spanish "but"
  66. 100Less polluted
  67. 102Furtive "C'mere!"
  68. 103"For real?"
  69. 104Greek wrap
  70. 105Mammoth
  71. 106Like some LAX flights
  72. 107Roman emperor after Claudius
  73. 108Wormlike larva
  74. 109Holiday precursors
  75. 111James Bond's first movie foe
  76. 112Trail cam regular
  77. 113Soap Box Derby rod
  78. 115Cry of exasperation
  79. 117__ and downs

The answer to “__ and downs” in the The Washington Post crossword is UPS — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 23, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 117-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.

“__ and downs” answer

UPS (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 UPS.

What does UPS mean?

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

(verb)

  • increase (a level or amount)
  • lift (something) up
  • do something unexpectedly

When else has “__ and downs” appeared?

The Washington Post 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 23, 2026 (most recent) → UPS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “__ and downs”?

The answer is UPS, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “__ and downs”?

3 letters: UPS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on August 23, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 117-Down.

Can “__ and downs” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post 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 WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for August 23, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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