H.S. course that covers politics
Crossword Answer — July 31, 2026
USA Today Crossword
Friday, July 31, 2026
By Prasanna Keshava
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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Restaurant bills — Answer: TABS. Hint: What you owe after a meal, neatly itemized on the check 📄
- 5. Nat King ___ — Answer: COLE. Hint: A smooth crooner who made jazz standards feel like a warm spotlight. 🎤
- 9. "Grand" musical instrument — Answer: PIANO. Hint: A household favorite that can go from soft to grand in a flash 🎹
- 14. No more than — Answer: ONLY. Hint: Just one in number, nothing extra 😊
- 15. Furniture chain known for its mazelike layout — Answer: IKEA. Hint: A flat-pack wonderland where you can easily lose your bearings while shopping 🛋️
- 16. Stand in an art studio — Answer: EASEL. Hint: The artist’s trusty upright companion holds the canvas while the paint flies 🎨
- 17. Japanese noodle — Answer: UDON. Hint: A comforting bowlful often served in hot broth 🍜
- 18. Pieces of skin art, for short — Answer: TATS. Hint: A casual name for little bits of body art done in ink 🎨
- 19. Completely lost — Answer: ATSEA. Hint: Feeling utterly adrift, like a sailor with no bearings on open water 🌊
- 20. Aldi or Ralphs, e.g. — Answer: GROCERYSTORE. Hint: A place where you grab milk, cereal, and maybe a cart that squeaks a little 🛒
- 23. Skirt edge — Answer: HEM. Hint: The finished edge of a garment often gets folded under and sewn down 👗
- 24. Move around in a hasty fashion — Answer: RUSH. Hint: Think of moving so quickly it’s almost a blur 🚀
- 25. Sounds from mice? — Answer: CLICKS. Hint: Tiny little noises you’d hear from a mouse on a computer, not a cheese shop 🖱️
- 29. Third-person pronoun — Answer: HIS. Hint: A possessive way to refer to a guy’s stuff 😌
- 30. Breakfast morsel that might be steel-cut — Answer: OAT. Hint: A hearty little grain often simmered into a morning bowl 🥣
- 32. "I Want It ___ Way" — Answer: THAT. Hint: A famous boy-band lyric fills in this blank just right 🎵
- 33. H.S. course that covers politics — Answer: APGOV. Hint: An advanced class that digs into how government really works 🏛️
- 36. Big shopping trip — Answer: SPREE. Hint: A big shopping trip can turn into a little buying binge 🛍️
- 38. Distinct period in history — Answer: ERA. Hint: A recognizable stretch of time with its own vibe 📜
- 39. "Consider this perspective for a moment" — Answer: TRYTOSEEITMYWAY. Hint: Imagine looking at it from the other side for a bit 🤔
- 42. Paving goo — Answer: TAR. Hint: Sticky black stuff used on roads and roofs 🛣️
- 43. City near Phoenix — Answer: MESA. Hint: A desert suburb that rises above the valley floor 🏜️
- 44. Kicks out of office — Answer: OUSTS. Hint: Boots someone from their position with no ceremony 🥾
- 45. Famous ___ cookies — Answer: AMOS. Hint: Think of the cookie brand with the smiling face and a very familiar first name 🍪
- 47. Hullabaloo — Answer: ADO. Hint: Think of a commotion that makes some noise! 🎉
- 48. Asset for a pitcher — Answer: ARM. Hint: What a pitcher relies on most to throw strikes and heat 🤾
- 49. Chicken ___ (cheesy entree) — Answer: PARM. Hint: A crispy Italian-American favorite that gets its cheesy glory from Parmesan 🧀
- 51. Baggage screening org. — Answer: TSA. Hint: U.S. airport security folks who check your luggage before you fly ✈️
- 52. Word before "drop" or after "open" — Answer: MIC. Hint: A tiny three-letter bit that pairs with “drop” and can follow “open” 😄
- 55. Public address after a W — Answer: VICTORYSPEECH. Hint: A triumphant message delivered to a crowd once the contest is won 🏆
- 58. Bunch of bees — Answer: SWARM. Hint: A whole crowd of buzzing insects moving together 🐝
- 60. "Uh-uh" — Answer: NOPE. Hint: A casual way to say “not a chance” 🙂
- 61. "Blink Twice" actress Shawkat — Answer: ALIA. Hint: She’s the actress with a quietly sharp presence in that film and on TV too 😊
- 62. Spirit in a bottle — Answer: GENIE. Hint: A wish-granting resident of a lamp, now conveniently packaged 🪔
- 63. Nights before big days — Answer: EVES. Hint: The evenings before something important are often the most anticipatory ones 🌙
- 64. City that aptly rhymes with "casino" — Answer: RENO. Hint: Nevada’s little desert gamble town shares a catchy rhyme with a card room 🎲
- 65. Diagnostic procedures — Answer: TESTS. Hint: Medical checkups that help uncover what’s going on 🩺
- 66. "For" votes — Answer: YEAS. Hint: A cheerful way to say yes in a vote 🗳️
- 67. Staying power — Answer: LEGS. Hint: What keeps you going after the first mile? 🦵
Down
- 1. Difficult — Answer: TOUGH. Hint: Hard to crack, like a stubborn nut 🥜
- 2. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" actor Braugher — Answer: ANDRE. Hint: He played the commanding detective with a voice that could stop a room. 🎭
- 3. Blossom into a flower — Answer: BLOOM. Hint: What a bud does when it finally comes into full flower 🌸
- 4. Align, like devices — Answer: SYNC. Hint: Get them all on the same page at the same time 📱
- 5. Pomelo or grapefruit, e.g. — Answer: CITRUS. Hint: A tangy family of fruits that makes drinks and zest brighter 🍊
- 6. Gives the green light to — Answer: OKAYS. Hint: Approves the go-ahead with a quick nod 😊
- 7. "We'll keep our fingers crossed" — Answer: LETSHOPESO. Hint: A hopeful little promise when you’re waiting for the best outcome 🤞
- 8. Toward the rising sun — Answer: EAST. Hint: The direction where morning first breaks 🌅
- 9. Mr. Krabs' daughter in "SpongeBob SquarePants" — Answer: PEARL. Hint: The giant teen in SpongeBob who’s always dreaming of the mall 🦪
- 10. Possible response to "What happened to the last slice?" — Answer: IATEIT. Hint: A cheeky confession for whoever couldn’t resist the final bite 😋
- 11. Braying animal — Answer: ASS. Hint: A stubborn beast that’s famous for its loud, donkey-ish cry 🫏
- 12. Formerly named — Answer: NEE. Hint: What someone was called before marriage or another change in name 👰
- 13. Portuguese for "hello" — Answer: OLA. Hint: A casual greeting you’d hear in Lisbon 🌞
- 21. "Wicked" star Cynthia — Answer: ERIVO. Hint: A gifted performer who lit up the movie musical adaptation ✨
- 22. Eight-piece group — Answer: OCTET. Hint: A small musical ensemble with exactly eight performers 🎵
- 26. Enjoys some taffy — Answer: CHEWS. Hint: What you do with taffy when you’re really making it last 😋
- 27. Gold purity unit — Answer: KARAT. Hint: A measure jewelers use to describe how pure gold is 💛
- 28. Doesn't head out — Answer: STAYS. Hint: Remains in place instead of going anywhere 😊
- 29. Like things that are trendy or spicy — Answer: HOT. Hint: A word for something fashionable or sizzlingly spicy 😎
- 31. Solo for a prima donna — Answer: ARIA. Hint: A diva’s showcase vocal turns the spotlight all on one performer 🎶
- 33. Palindromic flour — Answer: ATTA. Hint: A classic flour whose name reads the same forward and backward. 🌾
- 34. Baby buggy in Britain — Answer: PRAM. Hint: A little wheeled ride for the tiniest passengers, as the British might say. 🚼
- 35. Greek sandwich often served with tzatziki — Answer: GYRO. Hint: A tasty handheld from the Greek takeaway that’s often paired with cool cucumber yogurt 🥙
- 36. Startup capital — Answer: SEEDMONEY. Hint: Money that helps a new venture take root and grow 🌱
- 37. Hybrid music genre — Answer: EMORAP. Hint: A mashup that blends two very different styles into one catchy label 🎵
- 40. Intelligent — Answer: SMART. Hint: Sharp-minded and quick on the uptake 🧠
- 41. "So tasty!" — Answer: YUM. Hint: What you say when a bite is especially delicious 😋
- 46. Morale — Answer: SPIRIT. Hint: What keeps a team upbeat and going strong? ✨
- 48. Evaluate — Answer: ASSESS. Hint: Give it a careful review to judge its value or quality 🧐
- 50. Peaks — Answer: ACMES. Hint: The highest points of success, not mountains 🌄
- 51. Competitive personality — Answer: TYPEA. Hint: The kind of person who always seems to be racing the clock and everyone else 🏁
- 52. Messy brawl — Answer: MELEE. Hint: A wild, chaotic scuffle where everyone seems to be in the mix 🤼
- 53. Cake coating — Answer: ICING. Hint: Sweet topping for a frosted treat 🍰
- 54. Absolute mayhem — Answer: CHAOS. Hint: Total disorder with everything flying off the rails 🌀
- 55. Vehicles that move? — Answer: VANS. Hint: Delivery rides with a roomy side for hauling stuff 🚐
- 56. Wander — Answer: ROVE. Hint: To move about aimlessly, like a little explorer with no fixed destination. 🚶
- 57. British noble title — Answer: EARL. Hint: A rank in the British peerage, just below a marquess and above a viscount 🏰
- 58. Cpl.'s boss — Answer: SGT. Hint: A corporal reports to this rank above them in the chain of command 🎖️
- 59. Itsy-bitsy — Answer: WEE. Hint: Tiny enough to fit in a dollhouse pocket 😊
The answer to “H.S. course that covers politics” in the USA Today crossword is APGOV — a 5-letter word. This clue ran in the USA Today crossword on July 31, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 33-Across. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.
“H.S. course that covers politics” answer
APGOV (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 APGOV.
Why the answer is APGOV
An advanced class that digs into how government really works 🏛️
When else has “H.S. course that covers politics” 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 before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.
July 31, 2026 (this puzzle) → APGOV. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.
More clues from the USA Today Crossword on July 31, 2026
Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.
- "Wicked" star Cynthia → ERIVO
- Like things that are trendy or spicy → HOT
- Palindromic flour → ATTA
- Baby buggy in Britain → PRAM
- Greek sandwich often served with tzatziki → GYRO
- "I Want It ___ Way" → THAT
- Solo for a prima donna → ARIA
- Breakfast morsel that might be steel-cut → OAT
Want every clue in one place? The full USA Today answer list for July 31, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live USA Today answers are always one tap from the today page.
About the USA Today Crossword
USA Today's daily crossword is a themed, accessible grid with no Monday-to-Saturday difficulty ramp — every day is written to be finishable in one sitting. This page covers a Friday puzzle. Theme answers and short glue entries trade places in importance; when a theme clue stalls you, a confirmed crossing fill usually breaks it open.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “H.S. course that covers politics”?
The answer is APGOV, a 5-letter word. It appeared in the USA Today crossword on July 31, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “H.S. course that covers politics”?
5 letters: APGOV.
Where did this clue appear?
In the USA Today crossword on July 31, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 33-Across.
Can “H.S. course that covers politics” 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 July 31, 2026 is on the USA Today answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.