Protections against respiratory illnesses

Latest answer — August 12, 2026

11 Down

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Clue explained

FACEMASKS are protections worn over the nose and mouth to reduce exposure to respiratory illnesses. The plural answer matches the clue’s plural wording.

Clue type:
Definition
People wearing protective masks over their noses and mouths.

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, August 12, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1Succeed in a class
  2. 5With 47-Down, tropical shade providers
  3. 9Content warning letters
  4. 13Two-tone apex predator
  5. 14Inventor's jumping-off point
  6. 15Underwater detector
  7. 16"I like it!"
  8. 18Location
  9. 19Out like a light
  10. 20Vintner's harvest
  11. 21Top stripe of a pride flag
  12. 22Lousy grade
  13. 24"Gosh!"
  14. 25Channel with music videos and "Reba" reruns
  15. 26Bucket list item, perhaps
  16. 29Statistical average
  17. 31Jokes
  18. 32Cunning plan
  19. 33"A Change Is __ Come"
  20. 34Victor Wembanyama's org.
  21. 35Features of 4c hair
  22. 36A single time
  23. 37Plant anchor
  24. 38CPR pros
  25. 39Not rigid
  26. 42Seasonal vaccine target
  27. 43Some undergrad degs.
  28. 44Fleeting snooze
  29. 45Pvt. trainer
  30. 48Chicken __ bleu
  31. 50Throw trash away, but not in a trash can
  32. 52An additional time
  33. 53Distance shot in basketball, or what 16-, 26-, and 39-Across are altogether?
  34. 56Sport with scrums
  35. 57Component of steel
  36. 58Lack of difficulty
  37. 59Simple tops
  38. 60Domestic four-leggers
  39. 61"Their __ Were Watching God"

Down

  1. 1Big name in seltzer water
  2. 2Came up
  3. 3Give a talking-to
  4. 4"For goodness' __!"
  5. 5Animal enclosure with a namesake cipher
  6. 6"And now, without further __ ... "
  7. 7Sign before Virgo
  8. 8Ticked off
  9. 9Mardi Gras city, familiarly
  10. 10Signals called by a quarterback before each play
  11. 11Protections against respiratory illnesses
  12. 12Competes on a mat
  13. 15Shopping jag
  14. 17Arizona city near the Seven Sacred Pools
  15. 20Precious stones
  16. 23Creamy Christmas concoctions
  17. 24Huge unit of mass
  18. 26Pool divisions
  19. 27Like a dirty word
  20. 28Dirty
  21. 29Actor's audition selection
  22. 30Spur on
  23. 33Transport on the way to sink a putt
  24. 35"You hang on to that"
  25. 37"Sinners" director Coogler
  26. 40Dark wood
  27. 41Makeover sites
  28. 45Wander off
  29. 46V-formation flyers
  30. 47See 5-Across
  31. 49"I call it!"
  32. 51Old-school "you"
  33. 53Guff
  34. 54Metallic resource
  35. 55Duped

The answer to “Protections against respiratory illnesses” in the The Washington Post crossword is FACEMASKS — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 12, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 11-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.

“Protections against respiratory illnesses” answer

FACEMASKS (9 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 FACEMASKS.

What does FACEMASKS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a protective mask covering the nose and mouth or nose and eyes

When else has “Protections against respiratory illnesses” 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 12, 2026 (most recent) → FACEMASKS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Protections against respiratory illnesses”?

The answer is FACEMASKS, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 12, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Protections against respiratory illnesses”?

9 letters: FACEMASKS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on August 12, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 11-Down.

Can “Protections against respiratory illnesses” 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 12, 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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